Moving on
by Manga-bird
Summary: Ghost Hunt - Ouran High School Host Club cross-over Mai has moved away from everything she knew to start over, finding herself making new friends at a new school, leaving her old friends behind.
1. Character Introduction and Disclaimer

DISCLAIMER - I do not own Ghost Hunt or Ouran High School Host Club. The character introductions for the Ghost Hunt character are from the Ghost Hunt Manga, and the Ouran High School Host Club character information is from Wikipedia.

I warn you now I haven't fully decided where the plot is going with this, I'm just winging it, which sometimes works for the best...enjoy.

* * *

Shibuya Psychic Research – Available for hire to scientifically research and subdue unexplained phenomena that occur around their clients.

President of SPR (Shibuya Psychic Research) Shibuya (aka Naru) – 18 years old. He's cool-headed, good looking and smart, but he's a super narcissist. So he has been nicknamed Naru. (Short for narcissist)

Mai Taniyama – A lively 17-year-old student, who works part time at SPR. She's enthusiastic though Naru always gives her a hard time. (She's only seen Naru smile in her dreams.) But she may secretly be in love with him.

SPR members are:

Lin – He's a man of mystery who works closely with Naru.

Masako Hara – A psychic medium. She is well known in the psychic business.

John Brown – An exorcist who speaks with a Kansai dialect.

Ayako Matsuzaki – A self-claimed Miko.

Houshou Takigawa – Formerly a monk at Mt. Koya.

Tamaki Suoh - The president or "King" of the Host club. He is a very silly character with an obsession for the "commoner's lifestyle". Tamaki tends to be over-dramatic and yet a very kind empathetic person. He can be very serious when the situation calls for it. He considers the Host Club to be a family and named himself father and Kyouya as the mother. His father is the chairman of Ouran High School and his family is probably the wealthiest in Japan. His mother was forced to leave him so he could be recognized as the son of the Suoh family. Tamaki is half-French. He later discovers he possesses feelings for Haruhi that he is unable to decipher.

Kyouya Ootori - The Vice President and "Shadow King". He is behind most of the Host Club schemes and the other club members tend to go along with whatever Kyouya says. He is a third son and has spent his whole life honoring his family name and yet yielding his true abilities as to not overshadow his brothers.

Hikaru and Kaoru Hitachiin - Twin Brothers who used to reject others. Only recently after they joined the Host Club did they start to open up and allow other people into their world. They are the same age as Haruhi and are in her class, and so have a special bond with her; Haruhi is the first and only person who is able to tell the twins apart. They enjoy playing "games" and tricks on classmates, especially Tamaki. One of the twins, Kaoru, is nicer and more mature than Hikaru. Hikaru, on the other hand, is very immature, and is somewhat meaner. The twins later on discovers that, they too, harbor feelings for Haruhi. But the question remains, there is only one Haruhi, so who shall win her heart?

Mitsukuni Haninozuka - Also known as "Hunny" or "Honey," he is the cutesy shota character — he looks like an elementary school student rather than a high school student. Hunny is obsessed with sweets and cute things. He is very smart despite his looks and is usually found with Mori who is his cousin and a very upbeat character. Honey comes from a family known for their martial art abilities.

Takashi Morinozuka - Also known as "Mori". The tall, stoic character. Mori dedicates his life to Hunny by protecting him and an angry Mori is only seen when Hunny is injured or hurt. His character for the most part is very silent and only speaks occasionally. Mori's family has served Honey's family for years, until a marriage two generations ago — Mori and Honey are cousins.

Haruhi Fujioka - Haruhi is the heroine of the story. She comes from a very poor family, but is very intelligent and so she is a scholarship student at Ouran. Her mother died when she was very young and so her cross-dressing father raises her on his own. She is an apathetic heroine who has no interest in pretty and flashy things, sweet food, or bunnies. The members of the Host Club all have a sort of weakness for her and absolutely adore her. Haruhi appears as if she cares not about the host club member's feelings. However, she actually studies each and every one of them individually. The twins begin to realize that Haruhi appears to care more about Tamaki than she seems to demonstrate. Thus, trouble in the host club paradise arises.


	2. Chapter 1

DISCLAIMER - see chapter one

* * *

Mai opened the curtains of her new apartment and looked outside at the empty streets, so different from her old home, so far from all she had come to know. With a sigh she turned and went to the dining room table, where there was a map of the streets around her house, a red line heading to her new school. With a sigh Mai checked herself in the mirror, her short brown hair was neat, and her clothes were neat and un-creased. _I hope I get a uniform soon…wearing my own clothes is fine, but it'll be so embarrassing! I don't want everyone staring at me…_Mai thought as she looked at her khaki skirt and shirt, _I wish I had more formal clothes, but this is as good as it gets._ She added as she slipped into her shoes and lifted her bag, _I know it's only seven and class isn't until nine, but I have to see the head master and take a look around._ Mai thought as she stepped out of her door and walked down the steps in the cool morning breeze. The streets were so unfamiliar, even with the map she found herself getting lost, eventually making it to the large white building, pausing to look up at the clock tower, about eight O'clock. _Well, at least I'm not late._ She thought as she made her way up the path to the front steps, a few limousines already pulling into the school grounds, _wow, the students here really are rich…I wonder how much money the school is losing allowing me to study here and paying for my living expenses…_ she wondered as she entered the huge school. Once inside she felt even more lost as she walked through the corridors, heading towards a large set of stairs,

"Excuse me, can I help you?" Someone asked. Mai turned and saw a red headed boy walking towards her wearing the light blue boys uniform. He paused as he walked towards her, his hazel eyes looking at her curiously,

"Could you point me towards the head master's office?" she asked with a smile, the boy, who seemed about her age looked around the corridor, almost as if he had forgotten where it was,

"Yeah, it's that way." He replied pointing over her shoulder, "Turn right at the end of the hall." He added. Mai turned back to him and bowed gratefully before walking in the direction he told. At the end of the hall she turned right and at the end of the corridor she found the room,

"Ah, you must be Taniyama-san, please come in." The greying man said. Mai entered and closed the door, listening as he talked her through her timetable and the map of the school, also asking her to go and see the nurse to have a check up and have her measurements taken for the uniform, the only part of the school she found she didn't like. "Your class is 3B, that's down the stairs on the right." The head master instructed, giving her permission to leave. Mai was pleased that she managed to find her classroom easily, and as she stepped inside she saw the boy who had helped her before. She went to his desk, the middle of the second row,

"Thank you for helping me earlier." She said with a small bow, her eyes widening slightly as she looked at him, he was the same, but different. He leaned his head on his chin boredly and looked at her in disinterest, "I'm sorry, I think I have the wrong person." She apologised as she went to the teacher's desk, where he looked up from his papers,

"Ah, the new girl, Taniyama-san wasn't it?" the young man asked. Mai nodded and waited as he looked down his list and marked her name off, pointing to a seat in the second row by the window, "You can sit there." he said as Mai bowed and took her seat. Outside she saw even more limousines pulling up, around fifty students wandering around outside, the girls wearing yellow dresses with white frilled trim, _I really hate that uniform!_ Mai thought in disgust as the door opened and more students filed in, including the boy who had helped her earlier, who was identical to the boy in the second row.

"Kaoru! Where've you been?" the boy in the second row asked as his mirror image sat down next to Mai, leaving a seat free between them, where a girlish looking boy with short brown hair sat, though as Mai looked again she realised that it wasn't a girlish looking boy, but a boyish looking girl.

"I had to get my bag from the club room!" Kaoru replied as he opened his bag and pulled some books out. The girl between them was already sorting through her books ready for next period. Mai glanced at her timetable seeing that she had English in this room first. _I wonder what Naru's doing right now? No! Stop thinking about him Mai-chan, right now!_ She scolded inwardly as she continued looking out of the window.

* * *

Kaoru looked at his books, waiting boredly for class to start, smiling occasionally as some girls walked past, but otherwise he was just bored. He glanced across at his brother, who wore the same expression, and incidentally glanced at Kaoru, breaking into a grin,

"Oh Kaoru, did I tire you out last night?" Hikaru asked teasingly, looking at him seductively, eliciting squeals from the girls,

"Hikaru! You can't say that in front of all these people!" Kaoru whined in objection, blushing in embarrassment and looking boyishly cute while his brother reached across and stroked his cheek,

"Sorry Kaoru, but you look so cute when you're embarrassed, I couldn't resist." Hikaru apologised, still looking at him seductively, the girls still squealing, _amusing the princesses never gets old._ Kaoru thought, turning to look at the new girl, who had ignored the whole process much as Haruhi had, but it was okay for her, Haruhi had seen it hundreds of times before, but this new girl was just blatantly ignoring them. Kaoru looked at his brother, who seemed to be thinking exactly the same thing. Hikaru got to his feet and walked over to the new girl, perching on the edge of her desk looking down at her in a very Kaoru-like way. "I thought I recognised you, I see you got here alright." He said,

"What? Um, but aren't you the boy who was…" she began as she turned and looked at Kaoru, who leaned forward and slumped like Hikaru, looking bored and almost sulky, "I thought so, you're the boy I spoke to when I first came in here. I'm sorry again for mistaking you for your brother." she apologised as she nodded at Hikaru, who looked at her wide-eyed, looking at Kaoru and Haruhi, who were also staring, Haruhi was the only person to ever tell them apart, period, not even their parents could do that.

"Right, don't worry about it, it's fine." Hikaru replied before returning to his seat, eyeing the girl distrustfully, but Kaoru looked at her for another reason, she was different to the other girls, she was a little like Haruhi, there was something within he and his brother that most people missed, but this girl saw it, just like Haruhi.

* * *

For the whole of first period Mai looked out of the window between making notes, slightly annoyed at the boy called Kaoru who kept looking at her, _do I have something on my face? Or is it because of my clothes?_ She wondered self-consciously as she shifted in her seat, glad when the bell finally rang and she could leave. Looking at her timetable she saw that she had Mathematics next, also in this room, _that's odd…all of my classes are in this room unless it's science or physical education…in my old school I just went from class to class._ She thought as she pulled out her books, almost sighing as she realised she was going to have to go through another hour of intense staring.

"Alright class, I'm handing out sheets, you will answer all of the questions on the sheet within half an hour." The new teacher ordered as she handed the sheets out, the twins sighing audibly as they looked at the sheets, "Kaoru, Hikaru, is there a problem?" the teacher asked in disinterest as she made her way to the front of the class,

"This is boring!" Kaoru sighed,

"I have much more fun with you, Kaoru." Hikaru said seductively,

"Hikaru!" Kaoru whined, the teacher ignoring them as if this happened regularly, though by the way the girls were squealing Mai wouldn't have thought so. With a sigh Mai turned to her work, hearing the teacher stop beside her,

"And do you have a problem?" she asked looking down at her,

"No Sensei, it's just hard to concentrate with all the noise." Mai replied, the teacher laying an approving hand on her shoulder before turning to the twins,

"Enough boys, it seems that there are some in this school who take their work seriously." She said, watching the boys sigh and get to work, the girls of the class looking disappointed as they too got to work. "That's what I like to see in my students." The teacher said quietly as she leaned down to Mai and patted her shoulder. After class Mai was glad to have a break from Kaoru's stares and Hikaru's glares as she headed out to the small pool like fountain, where she sat looking at the water, _I really wish I'd seen Naru before I left…stop it! He's a jerk! You remember what he did! _She thought…

* * *

Mai sat at the desk looking at the wall, the papers Naru left for her to file still sitting on the desk untouched. _What am I going to do? Should I leave or not? What would Naru do in my position?_ She wondered as Lin opened his door, pausing in the doorway as he looked at the seventeen-year-old girl.

"Is there a problem Mai?" he asked as he walked over, leaning on the back of one of the black sofas. Mai jerked out of her thoughts and registered Lin's presence, and the fact that she hadn't even started on her work in the three hours she had been there.

"Yes, I mean no, well, not exactly…" she replied in confusion, noting Lin's concerned look as he sat down on the arm of the sofa looking at her expectantly, "Well, we took these IQ tests and exams in school and I was told I was far above average, and then my teacher offered me the chance to change schools, apparently there's this extremely prestigious school that's looking for people of special intelligence…my teacher sent in an application for a scholarship, and they accepted…but I'm not sure I want to go…it would mean leaving everything! My home, my school…my job…" she explained, her expression dropping considerably as she thought of the losses,

"But you also gain a lot of things. The chance to make new friends, a skill which, I might add, you possess in abundance, you also get a better education and have a chance for a much better career. You also seem to forget there will be holidays, you can come back to visit." Lin advised carefully,

"I guess so…but it's just so far away, I wouldn't be able to come here and back there in one day, well, not in enough time to get here on time and get back there in time for bed anyway…" she replied regretfully, rolling her pen between her fingers thoughtfully. _It's so much to leave behind…I've just made a family here…I don't want to be alone again!_ She thought, but then she thought of the school, she had looked at pictures, it looked nice.

"Mai, you must make the choice that is right for you…put your feelings about...certain things aside and think about what you think would be the best choice for you." Lin advised as he got to his feet. _Certain things? What does he mean?_ She wondered as the door to Naru's office opened and he stepped out, scowling as he saw Mai and Lin, the pile of files on Mai's desk still untouched,

"Mai, I'm not paying you sit and talk." He scolded as he placed his cup on her table, _I forgot to check and see if he wanted more tea!_ She thought, her heart fluttering slightly, "Never mind that. I heard from your school today, your teacher told me some…interesting information." He continued as he perched on the edge of Mai's desk, not looking at her. Lin quickly took his leave, heading back into his office, leaving the file he had finished on the desk for Naru to pick up. Naru picked up the file and opened it, "I've been thinking Mai…you haven't been working much lately…the work you do for us is at a low standard…and to be honest we really don't need you…I'm sorry Mai…I'm going to have to let you go." He said, not turning to look at her. Mai felt her chest ache, tears burning her eyes as her heart broke, _say something Mai! Damnit don't just sit here like an idiot!_ She cried inwardly. "You can finish today, don't worry, I'll pay you until the end of the month." He added as he walked into his office without looking back. _No…stop…don't…don't leave me alone…don't walk away from me!_ She cried inwardly, not realising she was out of her chair until she was half way across the room, heading into Naru's office, where he stood at his desk with his back to her. She wrapped her arms around him, her chest pressed against his back, feeling him stiffen in her grasp. _Say something for Christ's sake! Why won't you speak? _She cursed as she just stood holding him, crying silently into the back of his jacket, "Mai, let go." Naru said, but that just made Mai hold on tighter, _I can't! Not now!_ She cried inwardly, wishing for once that he had mind reading abilities. "Mai! Get out!" Naru shouted, shrugging away from her and moving to look out of the window. Mai froze, fresh tears streaming down her cheeks as she stood where she had been shrugged off, "Go!" Naru barked, and Mai ran. She ran straight through the office, barging Lin out of the way as he opened his door to check on her.

"Mai!" she heard him call as she ran. Her vision was so blurred she could barely make out where she was going, she stumbled down the stairs to the door and out onto the streets, knocking people left and right as she ran down the street, suddenly finding her way clear, being met with the screeching of car tyres, and blinking her vision clear she saw a white car hurtling towards her. Her heart felt as if it had stopped as she watched it coming closer, the rubber burning as the car slowed.

"What the hell are you doing? You could have gotten yourself killed!" Monk-san shouted as he slammed the car door and stalked over to her wearing his band clothing, his hair long and loose, his long dark coat open to the breeze and a cowboy hat suspended at the back of his neck by the string. Monk-san put his hands on her shoulders; calming his temper as he saw the state she was in, "What's wrong? What happened?" he asked in concern, holding her as she buried herself in his chest.

"Hey! Is she alright?" someone shouted,

"What happened?" another shouted,

"Was there an accident?" the next voice shouted, and suddenly there was a large crowd forming, some asking about Mai, some calling Monk-san irresponsible, some calling Mai a suicidal idiot while some were just angry drivers wanting to be on their way.

"Come on Mai, I'll take you home." Monk-san said as he took her to the car and helped her in, apologising to some of the drivers as he climbed into the driver's side.


	3. Chapter 2

DISCLAIMER - see chapter one

* * *

Mai jerked out of her thoughts as the bell rang, tears falling down her cheeks, _Damnit! Naru's not even around and he's still making me cry!_ Mai cursed as she wiped her eyes and got to her feet, checking her timetable to see she had geography, heading back to the 3B classroom, where many students were already sitting with their books out, except the twins, who were sitting at her desk, Kaoru in her chair and Hikaru on her desk,

"Excuse me, you're in my seat." Mai said with a blush as she looked down at Kaoru, who looked up at her with big brown eyes,

"What were you doing outside?" he asked as he looked up at her,

"That is none of your business!" Mai snapped, seeing him look taken aback and his brother turned to glare at her, "I-Sorry, I'm not in a good mood right now…can I have my seat?" Mai asked as she looked at the floor, feeling her arm pulled until she was on Kaoru's lap,

"But isn't this more comfortable?" Kaoru asked teasingly as Mai landed on his lap. Mai sat speechless, blushing as Kaoru leaned forward and looked up at her,

"Perhaps you would prefer to sit on my lap." Hikaru said seductively as he leaned forward and stroked her chin, smiling at her handsomely,

"No, I mean, I don't want to sit on either of you!" Mai said as she got to her feet, noting the glares and looks of shock and horror the rest of the girls were giving her as the twins looked downtrodden at her, "Uh, that is…look, can I just have my seat back? Please!" Mai asked pleadingly stepping aside as Kaoru and Hikaru moved out of her seat,

"Haruhi!" Hikaru called as the door opened,

"What is it now Hikaru? You better not say you've run out of something! I went to the shop yesterday for the host club!" Haruhi said as she sat down and pulled her books out,

"Do you have any more of those…biro pens? My ink pen ran out!" He complained as he held up the pen as Haruhi searched through her case and handed a biro to him. Mai sat and worked for the next two hours, stretching as the bell for lunch went; _finally I get a couple hours of peace! _She thought as she grabbed her lunch box and went outside to the fountain again, not noticing a photo fall as she left.

* * *

"Hey Kaoru, what's that?" Hikaru asked as he peered over his younger brother's shoulder at the photo. It was a group of people, one of whom was Mai, "She must have dropped it." He said as he looked down at it, seeing how happy she was, not liking how his brother was looking at it,

"It must mean a lot to her, I should return it." Kaoru said as he headed for the door, his brother following quickly.

Outside Mai sat eating her lunch, ignoring the people who wandered by, most of them staring at her, _what am I? Some sort of freak-show?_ She wondered in annoyance, feeling down as she thought of the friends she had left behind…

* * *

Two days after her incident with Monk-san Mai had packed her stuff, boxes were stacked all over the flat and Mai, for the first time in two days, felt depressed. Over the past two days she had packed furiously, checking and rechecking for things that may have been left behind, but everything was definitely packed and she could finally relax.

"Hey! Mai!" Monk-san's voice called from the hall. Mai looked at the open front door and saw Monk-san in the doorway, along with Ayako and John. "I see you're all packed and ready to go. When do the movers get here?" he asked as he sat beside her, leaning back with his legs crossed.

"Oh, tomorrow morning." She replied as Ayako perched on one of the large boxes and John stood be the coffee table, the movement within the flat restricted because of the boxes.

"Great, let's go out, my treat." Monk-san offered with a grin, seeing Mai's downcast expression and ruffling her hair, "Don't worry! Come on, let's celebrate your move to the upper classes." He joked, grinning as he saw Mai smile. From the box Ayako also smiled, _he certainly does know how to cheer Mai up._ She thought as Mai slipped into her shoes and grabbed her coat. Monk-san drove them to a large restaurant, an expensive looking place.

"Monk-san, are you sure about this? There are other places…" Mai said as she got out of the car and looked inside, seeing a lot of people dressed up in suits or long gowns. Monk-san patted her on the head and walked ahead,

"Don't worry! One of my clients owns this place, we have a private room booked." He replied, _but we still have to walk through all those people…_Mai thought as she followed reluctantly, very conscious of the fact that she was wearing a denim skirt and jacket. Ayako was dressed a lot smarter in an office suit, though John and Monk-san were in jeans and long sleeved tops, so she felt a little better as they walked through the door and up to the desk, getting stares from the other diners.

"God, you'd think they had never seen casual clothes before." Ayako muttered as she glared at a passing couple, who were skirting around them cautiously. At the desk Monk-san leaned casually when the young girl checked the reservation books,

"Takigawa! My friend!" A booming voice cried. Monk-san, as well as most other eyes in the room, turned to a large middle-aged man walking through the restaurant towards them,

"Mitsu!" Monk-san replied, clasping the man's hand, "It's good to see you again." He added with a grin as the man looked over the three with him, "Ah, these are my friends, John, Ayako and Mai. We're having a bit of a celebration, Mai's moving." He explained, at which Mitsu looked a little disappointed,

"Ah, such a shame for this town to loose such a fine young lady." He said as he kissed Mai's hand,

"She's way too young for you." Monk-san joked, both of the men laughing heartily, "Is our room ready?" Monk-san asked,

"Of course! Of course! Right this way, come, come!" Mitsu replied, ushering them away from the dining room and towards the stairs. At the top of the stairs were many sliding doors at either side; they were shown into the third door on the right. It was a traditional room with cushions on the floor around a low table, and inside there was a young woman waiting to serve them, "Kiko will take care of you from here." Mitsu said as he bowed out of the room. The four knelt at the table as Kiko handed out menus and took their drink orders, hurrying away to get them.

"This is great right?" Monk-san said as he crossed his legs and leaned back,

"Yeah, it's nice here, I may come back some time." Ayako replied as she flicked through the menu,

"Wait until you try the food! It's to die for!" Monk-san continued, "Well, here's to Mai's last night." He added as Kiko placed the drinks on the table,

"Yes, it's a shame to see you go Mai." John said with a smiled, _I'm beginning to have second thoughts now…_Mai thought as she looked around the table at her closest friends.

"Masako sends her farewell too, she's away on a job right now, so she couldn't make it." Ayako added from her place, "Don't worry Mai, you'll settle once you get there, you'll see." She added at Mai's doubtful expression, _maybe she's right…you always pick up friends on cases Mai, it'll be fine._ She assured herself, settling down to enjoy the rest of the night with her friends. Monk-san was right, the food really was delicious, and as time went by Mai almost forgot she was leaving and wouldn't be doing this again for a long time. Before she knew it, it was gone midnight and they were on their way home, stopping at Mai's first.

"Well, you take care of yourself, and stay in touch!" Ayako said as she got out of the car and hugged Mai,

"I will." She replied as she returned the hug. From the car John waved with a smiled and Monk-san winked at her,

"I'll come over in the morning and help you load up." He said as Ayako climbed back into the car.

* * *

_Monk-san, John, Ayako, Masako, Lin…I miss them all so much…but not as much as Naru…oh, shut up Mai! He doesn't care about you anyway! Just forget him!_ She scolded as she glared at the water, determined not to cry this time.

"Um, Mai? It is Mai right?" a feminine voice asked. Mai looked up to see Haruhi smiling down at her, lunch box in hand, "Do you mind if I join you?" she asked, sitting down as Mai nodded her consent. They ate in silence for a while, Mai feeling very comfortable with this girl for some reason,

"Why do you dress like that?" Mai asked, seeing Haruhi's confused expression for a moment before she realised and looked down at the uniform,

"Oh, this! You knew I was a girl, you're sharp, most of the students don't know." She began, "I was mistaken for a boy in my first year by Tamaki, the founder of the Host Club, and before I knew it I was in a boy's uniform hosting at the club." She explained, seeing Mai smile at the thought,

"And no one noticed?" she laughed,

"No, I thought it was odd at first, but I really enjoy hosting." Haruhi replied with a smile,

"I really wish I could have a boy's uniform, the girl's is just so…so…" Mai began, searching for the right word,

"Garish?" a male voice said, though Mai didn't notice as she was deep in thought,

"No, that's not it…" she said thoughtfully,

"Ugly?" an identical voice asked at her other side,

"I think out-dated might be more the word." Mai said, suddenly realising she had Kaoru and Hikaru on either side, jerking in surprise as they sat down on either side of her,

"Ah, I think she's right Hikaru." Kaoru said as he leaned back and looked up at the clear sky,

"Mm, short skirts are all go nowadays." Hikaru agreed, stroking up Mai's leg gently, stopping as she moved closer to Kaoru, pulling her skirt down, though it made no difference, it still only just reached her knees.

"I like the loose shirts too." Kaoru added as he nuzzled Mai's bare neck, pulling at the open collar, which was open to half way down her chest. Mai blushed and pushed him away, finding herself in Hikaru's grasp again,

"Hey! Leave her alone!" Haruhi said sternly, the twins giving her a pouty look before relenting with a sigh,

"You dropped this." Kaoru said as he handed Mai the photo of her and her friends, the one she treasured. It was her favourite picture, the one with all of her close friends in it, the same one that was on the front of her album…

* * *

Mai woke on the morning of her move with a sunken empty feeling in her chest, taking a slow walk through all of the rooms once she was dressed and had packed the very last of her stuff. As she ate a snack bar she had kept for breakfast there was a knock on the door, and as she opened it she came face to face with Lin.

"Good morning." He said as Mai stepped back and invited him in, "I heard you were leaving, so I came to say goodbye, and to give you this." He added as he handed her her school bag and coat, as well as other various things she had left in the office, including her photo album, _I can't believe I missed this while packing!_ She thought as she held the large thick book in her hands, looking at the large picture on the front, a group photo of the SPR team, Monk-san leaning on Mai's head, Mai and Masako on either side of Naru, John kneeling on the floor in front of Mai, Ayako leaning in beside Masako and Lin just behind Naru and Masako, all smiling except Lin and Naru, who didn't often smile, and even in the picture Naru was reading from a file about their latest case. Mai smiled at the memory; _won't you put that file down for ten minutes?_ She thought, her eyes filling up as she remembered her and Naru wrestling briefly over the file before Mai fell onto the sofa laughing, getting a scowl from Masako.

"I wish I could offer you tea, but…" Mai trailed off as she gestured to the packed boxes,

"I understand." Lin replied as Monk-san appeared in the doorway,

"Hey Lin, what bring you here?" he asked as he entered the flat,

"Just returning some of Mai's belongings." Lin replied as the movers entered, Monk-san instructing them quickly and grabbing a box. "Would you like some help?" Lin offered, receiving a grateful yes from Monk-san as he passed by with a large box marked fragile. Lin took the other side of the box and helped him on his way, walking backwards slowly as they made their way along the corridor and down the stairs to the van. Mai watched slowly as her belongings were taken out, checking around on final time before grabbing her bag and locking the door.

"That's it." Mai said as Monk-san appeared at the top of the stairs, accompanying her down to room one, where she knocked on the door and handed the key to a gruff looking old man, along with the last of her rent. She made her way outside where the moving van waited for her, "Well…I guess this is it…" she said tearfully as she turned to Monk-san,

"Hey, none of that. You have a new life waiting for you, you should be excited." He added as he pulled her into a hug, "Just remember to keep in touch." He reminded as he let her go, to which she nodded, _I can't believe this is it…I'm really leaving…Naru didn't even say goodbye…_she thought sadly as she looked at the van. "Off you go." Monk-san urged gently, nudging her in the back to get her moving. Mai walked to the van, where Lin opened the door and helped her up, giving her a smile,

"Goodbye Mai, and good luck." He said as he closed the door. Mai looked out of the window, seeing Monk-san and Lin waiting, both waving at her,

"You ready?" the young man in the driver's seat asked. Mai nodded and the van pulled away, leaving Monk-san and Lin behind.

* * *

"Hey, you okay?" Kaoru asked as a tear trickled down Mai's cheek, _not again! Pull yourself together Mai-chan!_ She scolded as she wiped the tear away quickly, smiling as if it had never been there,

"Yes, of course, oh, I haven't actually introduced myself have I? I'm Mai Taniyama, sorry about what happened earlier." Mai apologised as she put the photograph in her shirt pocket, making sure it was buttoned securely. Haruhi looked around Hikaru apologetically,

"We haven't introduced ourselves either, I'm Haruhi Fujioka." She introduced,

"And we're the Hitachiin twins! Kaoru and Hikaru!" the twins said theatrically, both of them getting out identical lunch boxes and eating their food identically. Mai wasn't sure if it was a genetic thing, a rehearsed thing or just force of habit from being together for so long.

"I hope Kyouya comes by the club soon, it's no good with just the three of us, we need more members!" Hikaru said as he leaned back and looked up at the sky,

"Have you considered adding a female section? You know, women who entertain men?" Mai asked as she put her lunch box aside and looked across at Haruhi, who had also finished,

"Well, I have thought about it before, but I haven't spoken to Kyouya…maybe it's something we should consider, what do you two think?" she asked thoughtfully as she looked at the twins, who paused for a few moments,

"Well, would that mean you'd come out as a girl? I don't think the princesses would like that…it might lose us business…" Kaoru said as he mulled over the proposal slowly, his chopsticks resting delicately on his lips. Hikaru sat in the same position, looking over at Mai,

"It has potential, we have had a male visitor before, for Haruhi, and there must be men who enjoy flirting as much as we do." He replied jokingly. They spent the rest of lunch together, Mai settling in more and more as she spent time with the three, _I think I might really settle in here…_Mai thought as she looked at her reflection in the water, seeing Kaoru, Hikaru and Haruhi with her, _I'm not alone anymore…_

"Oh, the bell, we have to go!" Haruhi said as she got to her feet, followed quickly by the twins, Kaoru turning and offering Mai his hand to pull her to her feet. Mai took the offered hand and found herself on her feet and in Kaoru's arms as she stumbled forward,

"Sorry, thanks." Mai said with a blush as they made their way into the school.


	4. Chapter 3

DISCLAIMER - see chapter one

* * *

_Finally class is over!_ Mai thought as she put her books away, standing up and finding her way blocked by the twins, who both wore mischievous looks that she didn't like, not one bit.

"What?" Mai said suspiciously as she threw her bag on, finding herself sandwiched between the twins as she went to walk out of the classroom,

"You're not busy are you?" Kaoru asked as he took one of her arms with a smile,

"Well, actually I do have a lot…" she began as she tried to slip away, finding herself cut off by Hikaru as he grabbed her other arm,

"Good, then you can come with us!" He said as he and Kaoru marched her through the door and up the stairs, _what are they doing? I have bags to unpack!_ She thought impatiently as they entered the third floor music room,

"Look, I don't have my flute, so I can't play right now." Mai objected as they released her, both looking confused until it dawned on them,

"Oh, this isn't a music club" Kaoru began,

"We just use the room." Hikaru finished

"This is the Host Club!" they replied as they ushered Mai to a sofa, where Haruhi was counting cups out for the princesses, who would be arriving within the hour as other clubs finished. She smiled apologetically at Mai as she was forced onto the sofa,

"Sorry Mai, I mentioned that it might be nice to invite you along, I should have known they'd bring you here anyway." She apologised as she lifted the five teapots and walked to a small table that had become a small sort of kitchen, where there were jars of coffee, tea, sugar, a kettle, even a small fridge for milk, and the twins were already carrying in large canisters of water to put in the kettle.

"Guys, I really have to go, I have to have my measurements taken, get a check up, go shopping, unpack my stuff, I really don't have time today!" Mai objected as she got to her feet, quickly finding herself blocked off by the twins,

"We can take your measurements!" Kaoru said eagerly,

"We'll take you to the nurse tomorrow!" Hikaru added,

"Don't worry about shopping today!" Kaoru continued,

"You can unpack later too!" Hikaru finished, both of them looking satisfied that the problems had all been solved,

"Look, the headmaster asked me to see the nurse today, and I need to go shopping so I have food for dinner tonight and breakfast and lunch tomorrow, and I want to get my stuff unpacked!" Mai objected in frustration as the twins began to circle her, _now what?_ She wondered as Hikaru leaned in close to her breasts and scrutinised her body, one eye closed as he held his chin, and as she glanced over her shoulder she saw Kaoru in a similar position examining her backside.

"I'd say 34-27-36, ne Kaoru?" Hikaru said questioningly as he leaned over Mai's shoulder, his body close enough for Mai to smell his delicate musky scent, blushing slightly as he leaned closer, almost touching her. She felt Kaoru behind her, also looking over her shoulder,

"I agree, but we should still measure." He replied,

"Right, come and take your clothes off Mai." Hikaru ordered as he took Mai's wrist and dragged her to the changing room,

"What? Wait a minute!" Mai cried as Kaoru pushed her from behind, "I said stop! I am not taking my clothes off!" she continued as she twisted away from Kaoru and pulled her hand from Hikaru's grasp,

"But our measurements might not be accurate if you keep your clothes on." Kaoru said as he grabbed her again, Hikaru taking the other side,

"Don't worry, we're professionals!" Hikaru added as they dragged her into the changing room and pulled the curtain across. Mai backed away to the wall, trapping herself as they advanced, Kaoru stroking her cheek, his fingers going down to her chest, fiddling teasingly with the first button while Hikaru stroked around her hip to the button of her skirt, "Now, just stay still." Hikaru said, deftly undoing the skirt, pulling the zipper down once he had unbuttoned in while Kaoru unbuttoned her shirt skilfully, slipping the garment from her shoulders. Mai blushed and covered her chest with her arms feeling extremely self-conscious as she stood in only her black under garments.

"We can't measure you like that!" Kaoru sighed as he pulled her away from the wall to the middle of the room,

"Arms up." Hikaru said as he pulled Mai's arms out to the side as Kaoru wrapped the long tape measure around her chest, smirking as he looked at the measurements,

"Dead on." He said, moving to her waist and then her hips, nodding in satisfaction as he got to his feet,

"Okay, you can dress now!" they said as they wandered off muttering to each other quietly as they left. Mai took a deep breath and pulled her clothes on, looking in the mirror to see her face was still red, _I can't go out there like this! Why did they have to do that?_ She thought in embarrassment, feeling suddenly as if she had met them before, but not knowing where, _maybe they remind me of someone…_she thought,

"Are you alright? Sorry about them, they're a little eccentric sometimes." Haruhi apologised as she entered the dressing room,

"I guess it's okay…" Mai replied, stepping to the pink curtain and looking through to the twins, who were now in full Host mode, flirting with each other mercilessly, watching the princesses swooning in amusement. Mai looked to the door as it opened and saw a tall young man with dark hair and glasses, his nose buried in a note book, a serious expression set on his features, "Who is that?" she wondered aloud,

"Oh! It's Kyouya, the co-founder of the Host Club, he's the one who makes the money." Haruhi replied, excusing herself to go and talk to him, _he's a little bit like…Naru…_she thought, feeling a pull in her chest as she thought of him. In the corner the twins were preparing for a game,

"Time for the guessing game! Where's Kaoru?" they said, Hikaru brushing his fringe over before he and Kaoru span together quickly and looked at the princesses expectantly. Mai watched as the girls um-ed and ah-ed over which was which, one of them guessing the twin on the right, "Wrong!" the twins chimed. On the other side of the room a crowd had gathered around Kyouya, who smiled over his pad, telling the girls all the plans he had, a new calendar, a spring tea party, an outing to a temple as well as some of the usual popular fancy dress events. Mai stepped out of the dressing room, regretting it almost immediately as the girls looked at her in shock or disapproval, especially as the twins ran over to her,

"Come on Mai, join in!" Kaoru laughed,

"You're just in time for the second round!" Hikaru added, putting her at the front of the group as they ran in circles,

"Okay, which of us is Kaoru?" they asked with triumphant grins, but Mai just pointed to the left, "That's where you're wrong!" they replied,

"No, that's definitely Kaoru." Mai replied, being joined by Haruhi, who nodded. The twins looked at each other in surprise before spinning again,

"Now which one?" they asked, their eyes widening mildly as Mai guessed right again. They turned away and whispered conspiratorially for a few moments before turning back, "Turn around!" they ordered, pointing at Mai. Mai turned away with Haruhi, receiving glares from the princesses of the club as the twins span again, "Okay, which one?" they asked. Mai turned around and pointed,

"How do you do that? Until now I'm the only person I know of to do that." Haruhi said respectfully. Mai looked puzzled, _she has a point, how am I doing this?_ She wondered as she looked at the twins, who did look exactly the same and, at the moment, acted exactly the same, not a difference between them, not even the tone of voice, _it's like in our cases, I mean SPR's cases, I always got strong feelings about things and people…like Kasai-san, I always knew she was innocent because of my intuition…it's the same now, that little voice is telling me who is who._ She thought with a smile as she remembered briefly being back with her friends working on cases.

"Just a feeling." She replied simply,

"I used to get the same thing…but now that I know them it's really no trouble at all." Haruhi said as she looked at the twins, who just stared dumbfounded,

"You had the same feeling?" Mai asked, receiving a nod in return, _maybe Haruhi's a latent psychic too…_Mai thought curiously as Kyouya walked over,

"You must be the new transfer." He said as he looked down charmingly at Mai, _uh-oh, I know that look; what does he want?_ Haruhi wondered as he extended his hand and shook Mai's, "I heard your idea about adding a female touch to the Host Club. I think it's a charming idea." He complimented seductively, _right, it's a good idea and…_Haruhi wondered curiously. "It seems only right that you lead this…female element." He continued,

"Great idea! Mai will host!" the twins chimed excitedly,

"I don't think so." Mai replied as she pulled her hand back, "I can't host." She added firmly, finding the twins on either side,

"Why not?" Kaoru asked sulkily,

"We like you." Hikaru said as if it that in itself settled it.

"According to my sources you are extremely adept at hosting. You worked as a secretary for a small business called 'Shibuya Psychic Research' as your last job. As a secretary on of your duties was to entertain clients while waiting for your boss, that my dear is called hosting." He said in a superiorly intelligent tone, _he really is like Naru in some ways._ She thought in annoyance,

"It's not something I want to do in my free time." She said firmly, seeing a flicker of annoyance in his eyes, something Naru rarely showed.

"None of the ladies of this school have experience in hosting, your experience in invaluable, something I would be willing to pay you a modest sum for…" Kyouya tempted, his cold logic overcoming his annoyance,

"What makes you think money would tempt me?" Mai asked,

"You mean that's not the reason you took your last job?" Kyouya asked in return, stepping back as the twins closed in wearing mischievous grins, circling her,

"Not for the money? That's not commoner behaviour." Kaoru said teasingly from the front,

"I wonder what the reason was." Hikaru said thoughtfully from behind, a gleeful look in his eye.

"That is none of your business!" Mai snapped with a blush, glaring at Kyouya,

"Mai, won't you host? We're really short of members right now, we haven't been able to recruit any yet…besides it'll be nice having another girl around." Haruhi added in a quiet voice, wary of the princesses, who were slowly drifting out of the club room. Mai looked from one face to the other, the twins looking eager, Haruhi smiling brightly and Kyouya looking neutral, _I don't really want to, it'll take time away from my studies, not that my old job didn't, but that's not the point! Then again, it is a good way to make new friends and fit in…well…it is only a couple of hours a day, plus a few events during the holiday…but what if I don't fit in?_ she wondered worriedly,

"Come on Mai, it will be fun!" Kaoru tempted,

"You get perks!" Hikaru added,

"We do?" Haruhi asked,

"Of course! you get to see us every day and free tea!" Kaoru replied indignantly,

"Oh, of course, and here was I thinking it was all about being dragged off to do things you don't want to do." Haruhi replied, laughing as the twins imitated Tamaki and sat at the edge of the room sulkily, both breaking into smiles as she laughed, "It's not the same without Senpai here…" she said with a far off look,

"Did I hear my name mentioned?" a silky voice asked, and as Mai looked at the door she saw a very handsome young man with blonde hair,

"Tamaki! I mean…Senpai, what are you doing here?" Haruhi asked with a blush as the founder of the Host Club entered, finding himself tackled by the twins,

"Lord!" they cried,

"Ah, my sons, are you pleased to see me?" he asked from his place on the floor beneath the twins, _sons? What's he talking about?_ Mai wondered, realising quickly that where Mai had felt her friends were family, Tamaki had named his friends his family. "And who is this?" Tamaki asked as he got to his feet, un-creasing his white suit,

"This is Mai Taniyama, we were just trying to persuade her to become a hostess." Kyouya said cunningly, knowing that if anyone could persuade her it would be Tamaki, who had already swept to her side to coo over her, though when he saw Haruhi he immediately changed target, "Unfortunately we're not doing too well." Kyouya added, seeing Tamaki take up the challenge.

"I see, you don't want to be a host?" he asked, putting on puppy dog eyes that had swayed Haruhi on numerous occasions,

"Well I…I don't…" Mai began, backing off as the twins joined Tamaki in his efforts,

"You don't like us?" Kaoru asked, putting on a sad expression,

"You don't want to spend time with us?" Hikaru asked, mimicking his brother,

"It's not that, I don't, I just, I don't fit in here…" Mai stuttered, seeing Tamaki's expression soften and Haruhi smile assuringly,

"Don't worry, I thought exactly the same when I first started." Haruhi assured, placing a hand on Mai's shoulder,

"We think you'll fit fine!" the twins said,

"So what do you say?" Tamaki asked as he held his hand out to her. Mai hesitated, _this feeling…so familiar…_she thought as she gave Tamaki her hand, seeing him smile brightly, while Kyouya began scribbling in his notebook in satisfaction.

"It's settled, there is now officially a hostess in the host club." Kyouya said as he snapped his notebook shut.


	5. Chapter 4

DISCLAIMER - see chapter 1

* * *

"Alright, that's the last of it." Haruhi said as she locked a cupboard, putting the key safely in her pocket. Kyouya nodded satisfactorily over the top of his notebook, the twins yawning and sighing from their place on the sofa with Mai stuck between them while Tamaki looked out of the window dreamily,

"Yaaaaay! Let's go! Let's go!" the twins cried as they got to their feet, pulling Mai with them, _I wish they'd stop doing that!_ Mai thought in annoyance as they pulled her around with them

"See you tomorrow!" Haruhi called as the twins and Mai left, Mai being dragged along involuntarily,

"Later." The twins replied, raising their free hands in farewell. Mai found herself dragged to the main doors, where she pulled away quickly,

"Well, I'm sure you two have things to do, so I'll be going now." Mai said brightly as she turned to leave, finding the twins on either side of her again with identical curious looks,

"We're not busy." Kaoru said,

"We're never busy." Hikaru added,

"Of course…lives of the rich and famous…well, I do have things to do." Mai replied firmly as she walked down the steps, the twins still at her side scrutinising her closely, "What is it?" Mai asked as they continued staring,

"Why are commoners always so busy?" Kaoru asked,

"Haruhi always has to be dragged off if we want to spent time with her." Hikaru added with a sigh,

"Well, there are a lot of reasons…some of us have to work to survive, some don't want to be crowded all day and just like to spend time on their own, but we're not always busy." Mai objected, "I just have a lot to do tonight." She added as the twins blocked her way teasingly,

"What sort of thing?" Kaoru asked,

"Lots of things! I have to shop and unpack! It's a lot to do!" she replied, _if I don't get going now the shops will close!_ She thought, feeling the twins grab her arms,

"We can help!" Kaoru decided,

"We'll take you shopping!" His brother added, giving Mai no choice as they bundled her into the limousine, Kaoru sitting by one window, Hikaru by the other with Mai in between.

"You really don't have to! I'd be fine by myself!" Mai objected as the twins settled down and relaxed beside her, but Mai found she couldn't relax, not in the limousine, it was a grandness she was unaccustomed to. She sat stiffly and looked at her lap,

"You should relax." Kaoru said seductively as he leaned close to her,

"You'll make yourself ill." Hikaru purred in her ear, his warm breath tickling her ear, both smirking as Mai blushed at their closeness, _I hope we get there soon!_ Mai thought as she shifted uncomfortably. "We're here." Hikaru said as he looked out of Kaoru's window, both pulling back from Mai. As they got out Mai saw a small supermarket,

"How did you know this was here? I didn't think you'd shop yourselves." Mai asked as they entered the shop, Kaoru grabbing one basket and Hikaru taking another, walking along on either side of Mai, watching as she examined the fruit and vegetables thoughtfully,

"This is where Haruhi brought us when she went shopping." Hikaru replied as Mai looked up, her eyes glazed,

"Mai?" Kaoru asked uncertainly,

"Mm?" Mai replied,

"Are you okay?" Hikaru asked, slightly concerned by her behaviour.

"Oh, yes, I was just doing some math…I have to keep an eye on my spending." She replied as she walked away from the fruit section, turning to see the twins adding items to the baskets, "Hey! I can't afford all this!" Mai objected as she walked back,

"But you need your vitamins!" Kaoru replied as he added oranges to the basket, much to Mai's annoyance, "Don't worry about it!" He continued as he pushed her towards a new aisle. The shopping was troublesome, the twins added items left, right and centre, the two of them too hard to keep track of as they flitted from section to section. No sooner had she caught one than she had to get to the other, leaving one free to cause trouble at all times, and at the counter the twins ended up paying as repentance for their troublesome ways.

"So, where do you live?" Kaoru asked as they climbed back into the limo, the shopping bags on the floor, _they bought enough food to feed a full family!_ Mai thought as she sat back tiredly,

"A small flat, Sakura Street." She replied as she closed her eyes.

"That's where Haruhi lives!" Hikaru said as they turned into the street, stopping outside Haruhi's flat building, finding that Mai had the room next door. Once inside the twins froze with horrified looks, there were no furnishings at all in the flat, just some boxes.

"You live here?" Kaoru asked incredulously as he turned the light on and made his way to the small sofa and flopped down, his brother wandering around the dusty room in disapproval,

"Well, I only just got here, I didn't have any time to unpack." Mai replied as she took the shopping to the kitchen, putting the food away before heading back into the living room, where the twins were sitting together quietly, _I wonder what I should do…it would be rude to just tell them to get out after they took me out shopping, but I want to unpack and make dinner…_she thought as the twins looked up at her,

"We'll help you clean!" Kaoru decided as he got to his feet and went to Mai's unopened boxes, "Where's your vacuum?" he asked as he pulled a box open, seeing it was full of kitchenware. Hikaru went to look over Kaoru's shoulder briefly before picking up the box and heading for the kitchen,

"In here right?" he added as he paused at the door he thought would lead to the kitchen, heading in at Mai's slightly bewildered, but grateful nod.

"Mai, vacuum!" Kaoru repeated slightly impatiently as she turned away from Hikaru quickly,

"Uh, right…" Mai said as she began to look through boxes, trying to remember where she had packed it. _I know it was in one of the larger boxes…_she thought as she opened a third box, pulling out a small compact vacuum, which was taken from her by Kaoru, who pulled at the lead looking confused at the tube and nozzle, "Maybe I should do that…" Mai said,

"No! I can do it!" Kaoru objected as he held up the plug and looked around for the wall, "I watched the maids use this thousands of times." He added as he plugged the lead into the wall, pressing the on switch of the vacuum and slowly cleaning the floor, _I guess rich people aren't as hopeless as they seem._ She thought cheerfully as she watched Kaoru, his once neat uniform now slightly dishevelled, his shirt untucked beneath his open jacket and his tie loosened at the collar.

"Maaaiiiii!" Hikaru called from the kitchen, pulling Mai away from her reverie, _what now?_ She wondered as she headed for the kitchen, where Hikaru was standing just as dishevelled as his brother, the counters covered with stacks of plates and bowls, appliances and tubs of cutlery and spices, "Where do you want all this?" he asked as he looked over his shoulder.

"Oh! Don't worry! I can do that!" Mai objected as she stepped forward and reached for a stack of bowls, feeling Hikaru's hand take hers gently, his eyes warm as he looked down at her,

"It's alright, I can do it, just tell me where." He insisted as he lifted the bowls. Mai pointed a cupboard, watching with a blush as he reached up and placed the stack on the shelf,

"Maaaiiiii!" Kaoru called from the other room. Mai headed quickly for the door, pausing as Hikaru looked at her over his shoulder,

"Just...keep putting things away." Mai said as she left, entering the living room to see Kaoru on the floor, his legs tangled in the vacuum lead, looking up at her sheepishly,

"The good news is I got the floor done." He said with a blush as Mai giggled, unplugging the vacuum before kneeling down and unwinding the lead from his legs. Kaoru sat up and crossed his legs,

"Maybe you should just…give the surfaces a wipe over while I clean the other rooms." Mai said as she got to her feet and pulled the vacuum with her to the bedroom, where she set to cleaning, moving swiftly through the other small rooms of the flat, the bathroom, spare room and kitchen, where Hikaru had just finished putting things away and was now cleaning the work surfaces, lifting his feet out of her way as he cleaned.

"I'm done." Kaoru said as he put his head round the kitchen door, where Mai had just turned off the vacuum, "So what now?" he asked as he fiddled with the yellow duster.

"Well, I guess I should start unpacking the rest of the boxes." She said as she dragged the vacuum to a small cupboard in the hall and walked to the stack of boxes, looking at the labels for one of the boxes for the bedroom, finding it lifted from her grasp by Hikaru,

"Kaoru! Grab another one!" he said as he headed to the bedroom, Mai close behind with a deep blush,

"Wait a minute! You can't unpack those!" she objected as Hikaru pulled the box open and pulled out some clothes,

"Why not?" he asked in confusion, pausing with a small pile of clothes in his hands,

"There's personal stuff in there!" she replied, _oh god, my underwear is in that box!_ She thought, watching as he reached in again for more clothes, "That's enough!" Mai squeaked, knocking the pile from his hands, blushing as she fell into his arms, both of them losing balance and falling on the bed, a blush colouring Hikaru's cheeks as well as they looked at each other.

"Can't I leave you alone for two minutes Hikaru?" Kaoru joked as he placed the box he was carrying on the floor, watching as Mai got to her feet, Hikaru sitting up with a deep blush as he glared at his brother. "And you, I expected better from you, Mai-chan." He purred in her ear, his hands slipping round her waist as he nuzzled her shoulder, smirking as she gently elbowed his stomach and eased him back.

"What's in this box?" Mai wondered as she opened Kaoru's box, which he had left by the door. Looking through it she came across pictures, her jewellery box, statuettes and other bits and pieces. "If you want to help you can start on this box while I unpack the other one." Mai said as she went back to Hikaru's box and pulled the clothes around, fishing her underwear to the surface, gathering it into her arms and taking it to the chest of draws beside the bed, _wow, these are better made than my old ones,_ Mai thought as she pulled the heavy draw out and placed her underwear inside, closing it quickly. With the underwear done Mai moved on to slowly sort through her remaining clothes, hanging the dresses, skirts and shirts and folding the tops, trousers and shorts in the remaining draws, along with any jumpers she found along the way.

"Mai, we're done." Kaoru said as she closed her draw,

"Okay, if you guys start on the boxes in the living room I'll start cooking dinner." Mai replied as they headed for the door,

"Why don't I do the cooking? You'll know where you want stuff to go better than we do." Hikaru reasoned as they paused by the kitchen. Mai looked thoughtful for a moment before agreeing, heading to the living room with Kaoru. It took over an hour to unpack, and when Hikaru began carrying plates of food through they weren't yet finished.

"Wow, what is this?" Mai asked as she sat on one of the chairs, Kaoru pulling it out for her. Once she was seated Kaoru and Hikaru sat down too,

"It's a western dish, spaghetti bolognaise. I tried it once on holiday in Italy, I liked it so much I found the recipe and started making it," he replied as he and Kaoru lifted their fork and spoon, both spinning spaghetti in the fork at the same time,

"His first attempt was so bad I almost threw up, we had to get our maids to go get us restaurant food!" Kaoru laughed, a reminiscent smile flicking across Hikaru's face as well. Mai smiled and looked around the flat, where a lot of her belongings were set, pictures were on the coffee table with a pot plant, books were on the bookcases, the television was set up with loose DVDs lying around it where she and Kaoru had stopped unpacking.

"Luckily as I practiced and eventually got it right." Hikaru added with a grin,

"Well, it's really good." Mai complimented, "Are you going to be a chef when you leave school?" she asked, seeing the twin's eyes widen in apparent disbelief, their forks still in their mouths,

"You mean you haven't heard of our mother's business?" Kaoru asked in shock, looking at his brother as Mai shook her head,

"The Hitachiin fashion line is huge! How can you not have heard of it?" Hikaru asked in disbelief,

"Well, maybe it's only popular with the wealthy residents of Japan, that and fashion doesn't really interest me, the expensive fashions are always a ridiculous design." She replied, blushing as she realised what she had said, "I-I mean the designs that I've seen; I have no idea about your mother's work." She added hastily as the twins looked downcast. "Maybe…you could show me some." She said quickly, seeing them perk up at her suggestion,

"We'll bring in her catalogues tomorrow!" Hikaru decided, Kaoru nodding enthusiastically,

"And we'll show you the Host Club album, our mother makes almost all of the costumes we use in our events, me and Hikaru make the rest, we're going to take over the business one day." Kaoru added as they continued eating, both eyeing her at various points,

"What?" Mai asked,

"Nothing." They replied, looking at each other with conspiratorial smiles. _I don't think I like those looks…_she thought as she finished eating, seeing it was only twenty past nine as she looked at her clock on top of one of the bookcases,

"Well, I'll just finish some more of the unpacking, you two please take your time." She said with a smile, hearing them talk in lowered voices as she went to her remaining few boxes, removing things for the study and taking them into the spare room. Inside she already had her desk set up, she and Kaoru had put it together earlier and now all she had to do was put the chair and bookcase together and stack the books. It was as she was stacking the last of the books that the twins appeared in the doorway,

"We did the washing up." They said as she went to meet them.

"Um…what do you want to do now?" Mai asked as they entered the living room, where the DVDs from the floor were now neatly stacked on the television stand. "We could…watch a film, or play a game, talk…" Mai listed as she sat on the sofa, watching the twins glance at each other before Kaoru picked up a DVD and showed it to Mai, who nodded and watched as he turned on the TV and put the disc in the player as Hikaru sat next to Mai. Kaoru grabbed the remotes before hopping onto the sofa on Mai's other side. "Would you like a drink or snacks?" Mai asked as the disc menu came up,

"I could do with a drink." Kaoru said, Hikaru nodding in agreement. Mai went to the kitchen quickly, grabbing three cans of coke before heading back, handing them out and taking her place in the centre. "I love commoner drinks!" Kaoru sighed as he took a gulp and sat back,

"The sugar rush is unbelievable." Hikaru added as he too sat back, sitting like a mirror image of Kaoru, his arm resting on the arm of the chair gripping the can lightly and his legs crossed. Mai put her can on the coffee table and sat back, resting comfortably between the twins as the film started. _It's not going to be an early night…I can't believe this has happened so fast, I've had my first day of school, met some friends, moved in, unpacked and had my first dinner guests all on my first day…maybe things won't be so bad here…maybe I can really start over, have a life without…without him…_she thought as she leaned back and closed her eyes.


	6. Chapter 5

DISCLAIMER - see chapter 1

* * *

Nau looked out of the office window at the nighttime streets, his eyes tired from reading files all day, his mind clogged with all the information he was trying to process. The door opened and Lin entered, he knew it was Lin; no one else was here, not anymore.

"Naru, you should sleep. Let's go." His deep voice chimed, just as Naru knew it would. He turned and headed for the door, his eyes falling on Mai's desk, which was still bare, "You know, we could use a secretary…maybe you should start looking again, it's been almost a week, and the paper work is backing up." Lin said as they walked through the door and into the street, where the van was parked.

"No, we'll cope, we did before." Naru replied, thinking back briefly to life before Mai when it had just been he and Lin, only getting the occasional case, splitting the paperwork easily between the two, but then he had met Mai, and soon after, because of her bright personality, he found an emptiness about him when she was away, so he hired her, finding Monk-san, Ayako, John and Masako also wanted to work with him, all because of Mai. Without Mai the glue that had once held the seven together was gone, Masako still came by, but John, Ayako and Monk-san were appearing less and less,

"Things aren't the same as they were before…and you know it." Lin replied as they entered the van. Naru remained silent, _but they are slowly turning back to normal…back to just Lin and me…as it should be, as it should always have been! Hiring Mai was a bad move on my part._ He thought firmly and convincingly, glaring at his reflection in the side mirror. The rest of the ride was silent until they reached the flat and went inside,

"I'm going to bed." Naru said as he pulled his coat off, pausing to look out of the window, the streets below empty,

"You miss her…don't you?" Lin said as he looked at the young teen's back. Naru remained silent for a while, so long that Lin thought he was being his usual stubborn self and ignoring his question,

"Yes." Naru replied quietly, almost stunning Lin into silence,

"Then why don't you apologise? Ask her to come back?" Lin asked as he walked up to the young teen, seeing for the first time a look of utter depression on his face, his eyes looking far away, beyond the street they stared at.

"Because…" Naru began, falling silent,

"Because?" Lin prompted,

"Because this is what's best for her." Naru replied firmly, turning away from the window and heading for his room,

"How do you know that? You do know you hurt her; quite badly, before she left…you should apologise for that…I have her address, and her phone number, call her or go see her." Lin advised as the teen paused in the doorway,

"No…you don't understand. I-I know Mai, I know her almost as well as I know myself. If I apologised she'd want to come back, and I know this is cruel, I know…we might never…but she has a chance, a chance of something I once had myself, and I'm not going to let her sacrifice her future…not for me." Naru replied firmly, glancing over his shoulder at Lin, who saw the certainty in his eyes and nodded, once Naru's mind was made up, that was it, _and I can't say that he's not entirely correct in his assumption…_Lin thought, remembering Mai's bright and forgiving personality. Lin watched as Naru closed the door, his face back behind his neutral mask, _but even if Mai moves on, will you?_ He wondered as he looked at the closed door.

* * *

Mai opened her eyes to find herself lying in her bed, the covers tucked up to her chin, and the sun shining through the window. _I don't remember…did I get to bed? I'm sure I was…on the sofa…_she thought groggily as she sat up, finding that she was still in her clothes from the night before. She climbed out of bed, grabbing some new clothes and heading for the shower, where she washed and dressed, finding it was almost time for her to leave as she entered the living room. As she hurried into her shoes and grabbed her bag she found a note, **Mai-chan, thank you for having us, we weren't sure how to set your alarm, so we'll come by and pick you up, don't worry, just wait for us, Kaoru.** Mai paused and looked out the door, seeing no sign of the twins or their limo. _Well…they said they'd be here…so I guess I can have some breakfast…if I'm quick,_ she thought as she headed for the kitchen, tipping out some cereal and milk into a bowl and eating as quickly as she could, finding herself ready just as the twins, quite loudly, knocked on the door.

"Morning." Mai greeted as she stepped out of the door to meet the twins, who beamed at her, "Thank you for…putting me to bed last night." Mai added with a blush before they ushered her down the stairs to the limo,

"Don't worry about it." Kaoru assured as they climbed inside,

"Yeah, it was fine except where Kaoru tried to undress you," Hikaru added, Mai's eyes widening in shock, _are they joking?_ She wondered as Kaoru blushed,

"Hikaru! You wanted to too!" he whined, his eyes misting over as Hikaru leaned over and brushed his cheek,

"Ah Kaoru, I would rather undress you." Hikaru flirted, his lips hovering inches away from Kaoru's

"Hikaru! Not in front of Mai!" he whined, turning away with a blush, catching Mai's troubled look as he did so, "Mai…we were only joking…you know that right?" Kaoru checked, seeing Mai loosen up a lot at his assurance. _I guess we can't blame her for being a little distrustful…we did only meet yesterday,_ Kaoru decided as he and his brother sat up.

"When we get there we'll need you to come to the club room first, we have something for you." Hikaru said, smirking as Mai's interest peaked, the twins refusing to reveal their surprise. By the time they reached the school Mai was bursting with curiosity, almost as excited as the twins about what was waiting for her. As they entered the club room Kaoru ushered Mai into the changing room while Hikaru pulled a package from his bag and handed it to her,

"There are two, one for summer and one for winter." Kaoru said as Mai opened the package to find two uniforms, but they were neither the girl uniform nor the boy uniform. For the winter there was a light blue pleated skirt and blazer with the Ouran High School crest on the breast, much like the boy uniform, and for the summer was an identical uniform, but in yellow and made of a slightly lighter material.

"They're…beautiful!" Mai exclaimed as she held up the blue jacket, finding a delicate white V-neck shirt, so there was no need for a tie, "When did you? How did you?" Mai stuttered as she turned to the twins, who were leaning on either side of the changing room doorway,

"We made them or course! It was a simple design, after all our mother did design the uniforms for Ouran." Kaoru replied,

"It took us most of the night when we got home." Hikaru added, causing Mai to notice for the first time the large bags under their eyes,

"I'm sorry! You didn't have to do this!" she apologised, getting twin grins as they straightened and each drew a curtain across,

"If you really want to thank us, then you'll wear them." Kaoru replied as his head ducked out of the light pink curtains. Mai looked at the blue uniform for a moment before quickly changing into it, finding the skirt zipped and buttoned at the side, the fitted shirt sitting on the rim neatly and the jacket completely covering the shirt without going too far down her waist, it was perfect, as if it had been made just for her, _what are you thinking Mai? This was made just for you!_ She thought, feeling her eyes filling up until tears streaked down her cheeks,

"Mai-chan? What's wrong?" Kaoru asked as he heard her quiet sniffle from behind the curtain, peeking through to see her crying as she looked at the mirror,

"You don't like it?" Hikaru asked as he and his brother entered the changing room. Mai shook her head and wiped her eyes, smiling through her tears with a blush,

"It's not that…they're beautiful, I really love them! It's just…no one's ever done anything like this for me before…" she replied, finding herself sandwiched between the twins in a gentle embrace, _they're so…warm…_Mai thought as the twins wiped her eyes gently, smiling down at her kindly.

Throughout the day the twins and Haruhi coached Mai on hosting between classes, and Kyouya walked the school, informing young men that they were trying out a hostess in the host club and inviting them along for free if they filled out a feedback form on what they thought of the trial. As she was coached Mai couldn't help noticing the looks of disgust and envy she got from the other girls of the class, finding herself the victim of various insults, _I guess I should thank Naru for my thick skin…_Mai thought as she ignored yet another snipe, _I'm not sure me hosting is such a good idea…_she added.

"Don't worry, you'll be fine, and I'll be at the table with you, since it's your first time and you didn't have coaching from Senpai." Haruhi said assuringly with a bright smile as they entered the clubroom to set up,

"And we'll be close too." The twins chimed in as they appeared at Mai's sides, forcing Haruhi to speed up and go ahead.

"You'll be fine, I know talent when I see it." Kyouya added,

"Yes, but even if I'm popular with the men, the ladies don't seem too happy about the idea." Mai pointed out as she and Kyouya took the saucers from the cupboard and laid them out neatly on a table, leaving a lot of them in small stacks for later.

"You don't need to worry about the princesses, they'll be too busy with us." Kyouya assured, though Mai was unconvinced as the first guests began arriving, all of them princesses so far, and all of them glaring and turning their noses up at Mai as they walked by.

"Don't worry about it." Haruhi assured, one of her own guests arriving. "We'll be sitting with Mai-chan today, okay?" Haruhi said with a bright smile, the blonde girl blushing and nodding without protest, though she threw Mai a possessive glare as she took Haruhi's arm and pulled her towards the table, _I'd love to see her face if she found out Haruhi was a girl,_ Mai laughed inwardly as she turned to the doorway, where a shy looking boy from their class had appeared and was looking around nervously,

"You're on." Kyouya said, his hand on her shoulder. Mai nodded and put on a bright smile as she walked over to the boy, who looked at her nervously as she approached him,

"Welcome to the Host Club, I'm Mai, pleased to meet you." she greeted kindly as she extended her hand slowly, watching as he reached out and took her hand gently,

"Karone…I'm not entirely sure what I'm supposed to do…" he replied sheepishly with a blush. Mai pretended she didn't notice the blush and guided him to the sofa,

"Well, Karone-san, you sit there while I get the tea and then we'll talk a while, okay?" Mai said with another smile as she headed to the teapots, putting a coffee pot and teapot on a tray with milk and sugar, adding two cups and saucers.

"You're doing fine." Haruhi whispered as she picked up another two cups and saucers along with a plate of biscuits. When they retuned to the table Haruhi sat on one side of the table with Karone while Haruhi sat on the other side with her female guest, soon getting two more clients and having to get more cup and saucers. While Haruhi was gone Kyouya lingered close by with his notepad, keeping an eye on the three princesses,

"So, Karone, you're in my class, so obviously third year, what are you plans for next year?" Mai asked as she poured him some tea with milk and two sugars as he had asked, giving him her full attention as he relaxed beside her,

"I-I want to be a photographer." He replied, _okay, I have to act interested…not that I'm not, I think it's actually quite interesting, this should be easy,_ Mai thought as she handed him his cup and saucer, pouring her own as Haruhi returned,

"Really? Why don't you tell me about it, what do you take pictures of?" Mai asked, giving him a subject to grasp, feeding him the conversation.

"Well, lots of things, animals, landscapes, people, buildings, I really don't mind, anything can be beautiful, it just depends on how you see it." He replied a little more confidently, seeing Mai's bright smile,

"I guess that's true." Mai said,

"I bet Mai would like you to take pictures of her, she seemed the type to be into –that- sort of thing." One of the princesses said spitefully, the other two nodding in agreement, "Just look at the clothes she's wearing, no flair or finesse, it's obvious she's just a common tramp." She continued, her eyes glinting, daring Mai to snap, but Mai merely sipped her tea, turning to Karone as if she hadn't heard anything,

"I'm sorry, it's a little noisy around here today. I don't know of any universities that teach photography as a course, have you looked into it?" Mai asked, seeing a hint of admiration in Karone's eye as he turned to her,

"Yes, there's a course going at Tokyo National, I just hope I get the grades to get in." he replied, his demeanour showing his lack of confidence, something Mai couldn't stand,

"Don't worry, if you do the best you can I'm sure you'll get in." Mai encouraged with a bright smile, seeing him brighten instantly. Mai continued their conversation, soon joined by another young man, also her year, but from another class. He was more confident and flirtatious than Karone, more interested in exchanging commoner pick-up lines than intellectual conversation, then there was a third who was all for intellectual conversation, and enjoyed being the more intelligent of the two, so Mai played the role of naïve young woman. There were may more after this, all with varying tastes and Mai remained surprised that she could keep up with the flow of different customers, each looking for something different.

"You've done well today Mai." Haruhi said as many of the guests began to leave, the men leaving sheets of paper with Kyouya, who would read them and make notes on his pad,

"Hmph, I don't see what's so special about her! Any one of us could be a hostess, why is she so special?" one of Haruhi's guests demanded, the same one who had tried to provoke Mai earlier. The twins, who were done with their guests sidled over, anger in their eyes as they fixed mischievous smirks to their faces, Kyouya turning away, intending to ignore the following proceedings as Haruhi too turned to the girl in disapproval,

"Well, I can see what's special about her." Kaoru began as he leaned on one side of the girl,

"Mm, she's kind, considerate, adaptable," Hikaru listed,

"Patient, cute, charming," Kaoru continued,

"Qualities that she holds in abundance," Hikaru added,

"But which you lack." Kaoru finished, both of them smirking at her as she looked at them shocked and speechless before turning on Mai with a glare,

"Don't look at her like that, you've no one to blame but yourself for this." Haruhi said firmly, seeing her guest looking at her with a feeling of betrayal,

"How can you be on the side of that little tramp? She's just a commoner! She can't even afford a uniform! Look at what she has to throw together to attempt to blend in!" the girl spat, even the two girls with her thinking she went too far, their hands over their mouths in shock,

"Is that how you see me? I live the same way she does." Haruhi reminded, watching her guest lose her vicious steak as she looked at Haruhi guiltily,

"Of course you're not Fujioka-san!" she objected,

"Why?" Kaoru purred dangerously,

"Because he is a pretty-boy?" Hikaru asked in the same voice,

"As for her clothes they were thrown together, but not by her." Kaoru said as he stepped back,

"Kaoru and I made them for her last night." Hikaru finished, following his brother's lead as they sat on either side of Mai, Hikaru pulling out her arm while Kaoru tugged the skirt and examined it,

"Hikaru, I know we made these in a rush…but I don't think it looks 'thrown together' hm?" Kaoru said, throwing a glare at the girl opposite,

"I don't know Kaoru, maybe we're just not good enough to compare with mother." Hikaru replied,

"No…I-I didn't mean…" the girl trailed off with a look of shame,

"Kana-san." Kyouya said, addressing the girl as he turned back to them, obviously thinking she had had enough, "I think it best you leave." He finished as he looked at her over the top of his glasses. Kana nodded and got to her feet, leaving silently without protest, her friends close behind.

"When you said leave…" Mai began,

"I meant leave. She won't be back." Kyouya assured as he continued making notes on his pad,

"Wait, I mean, I know she was…" Mai objected,

"Rude." Kaoru supplied,

"Selfish." Hikaru offered,

"Arrogant." Kaoru continued,

"Abusive." His brother listed,

"All of those!" Mai cut off, "But still…maybe we could…give her another chance?" Mai said questioningly, Kyouya fixing her with a stare as he looked up from his pad while Haruhi and the twins stared on in disbelief,

"You have a strong character Mai…I like that…if you want her back I'll allow it, but if it happens again she's out. Haruhi, I'll let you deliver the news." Kyouya added, receiving a nod from Haruhi. "Now, on to the results of your trial…eighty percent of those who turned up said that they would return, and the other twenty will not purely because the Host Club is not something they enjoy, however they found your company agreeable to say the least, and other than the…incident a few moments ago there were no hitches, and even with the incident there were no lags in your performance, therefore I officially welcome you to the Host Club as our first Hostess." He continued as he read from his notebook, glancing over the top at her when he had finished with a small smile, and Mai found herself sandwiched between the twins, who hugged her tightly as they laughed in triumph,

"Kaor-Hika-can't-breathe!" Mai choked, laughing as the twins pulled back looking horrified, "Sorry! I'm okay!" she laughed, seeing them both sigh and smile in relief.

"What should we do now?" Kaoru asked as Haruhi wandered around putting the club things away,

"The club has ended for the day." Hikaru added, both looking to Mai for a decision,

"Um…well…I guess you could come over again." Mai suggested, seeing the twins pause as they thought of something,

"We've been to yours!" Kaoru began,

"So now you can come to us!" Hikaru decided,

"You need help with your math." Kaoru reminded, seeing Mai blush as she thought back to the afternoon, where Kaoru had spent the math lesson leaning over, trying to help Mai without the teacher noticing as she struggled with the equations.

"And we can show you our mother's clothes!" Hikaru added enthusiastically, their amber eyes shining as they looked at Mai,

"Okay…I guess…if you don't mind." Mai replied with another blush,

"That's settled, let's go!" Kaoru said as he pulled Mai off the sofa, Hikaru close behind,

"Bye Haruhi!" Hikaru called as he followed his brother, who still had a loose hold of Mai's wrist as they walked laughing and joking together, as he and his brother often did, _how has she worked her way in so far in so little time?_ He wondered with a smile as his brother's hand slipped down Mai's wrist to take her hand, "Hey! Kaoru! Mai! Wait up!" he called as they paused, hands still holding.

"Don't fall behind Hikaru!" Kaoru complained as his older brother caught up and took Mai's other hand, the three of them heading out of the school.


	7. Chapter 6

DISCLAIMER - see chapter 1

* * *

"Naru…Naru!" Lin said as he shook the younger man's shoulder as he lay slumped over his desk. Naru opened his eyes and looked up tiredly, his lack of sleep obvious, "You should go home for the day…you're not getting any work done like this, come on, we'll go home and you can sleep there." Lin decided as Naru looked at the pile of untouched files, nodding in agreement and defeat.

"I'll do those tomorrow." Naru said as he grabbed his coat, not putting it on as they headed to the van.

"You didn't sleep last night." Lin observed as he drove home, Naru nodding off in the seat beside him, jerking awake at Lin's words.

"I couldn't." He replied simply, _right, after our conversation last night I'm not surprised…no point in bringing her up again, it will only make him worse…_Lin thought,

"Masako-san called earlier, she wished you to join her for dinner some time this week." Lin said, seeing Naru nod from the corner of his eye, "Will you accept?" Lin prompted,

"Do I have a choice?" Naru retorted as Lin pulled the van up outside the flat, "I'll call her later." Naru added as he climbed out and headed for the door, _what am I going to do with that boy!_ Lin thought with a sigh as he too climbed out.

* * *

"I still don't get it!" Mai whined as she leaned her head on the pillows of the twin's large double bed. Mai lay on her stomach in the centre, her math books scattered before her, Kaoru and Hikaru lying on either side, Kaoru propped on his right side and Hikaru on his left.

"Okay, I'll show you again." Kaoru laughed as he leaned closer and pointed at the textbook, "Add here, carry here, then multiply to get your base number, then square this and add it to this, times by the base number and there you have it." He explained, watching as Mai's face scrunched up in concentration, slowly turning confused once again,

"You confused her again." Hikaru said unnecessarily, leaning over Mai's books to read the textbook, sighing before rolling away onto his back, folding his arms beneath his head and looking up at the ceiling. "This is boring." He added restlessly,

"Mm, there are much more interesting things we could be doing Hikaru." Kaoru said seductively as he gazed at his older brother,

"Kaoru, at this time in the evening?" Hikaru asked in the same tone,

"Cut it out!" Mai protested with a blush, pouting as Kaoru and Hikaru laughed,

"Why? Would you rather we pay more attention to you?" Hikaru asked as he leaned closer to Mai,

"I don't mind paying closer attention to you…" Kaoru added as he gently used his hand to turn Mai's face to him, leaning closer, his lips so close she could almost feel them, his warm breath brushing her lips, her eyes wide as she looked into his half-lidded orbs.

"Hey Kaoru! I want the first taste." Hikaru cut in, leaning his head on Mai's shoulder, nuzzling her neck, his lips gently dragging across the skin,

"Hikaru! You always go first!" Kaoru whined, blushing as Hikaru cupped his cheek and moved closer as if to kiss him,

"Will you two stop it?" Mai chided, a blush still bright on her cheeks. At that the twins broke apart smiling, "I need to get this finished for tomorrow." She added as she turned her attention back to her books, Kaoru leaning in with her to continue helping while Hikaru hopped over the pair and wandered out of the room, returning a few minutes later with a pile of photo albums, carefully climbing over the pair once again and taking his place at Mai's side.

"Are you almost done?" Hikaru asked boredly as he put the pile of albums to one side, peering over Mai's shoulder,

"Almost…just a few more…" Mai replied as she pencilled in another answer, Kaoru leaning over and checking her answer before moving onto the next question with her, watching as she worked it out, ready to correct her if she made a mistake. Hikaru watched them working together, it reminded him again of he and his brother, the way they had always been, helping each other and working together, _the more I think about it, the more she fits._ He thought with a smile as he too leaned in to look at the questions, the three of them working on the answers.

"All done?" Hikaru asked as Mai looked over her answers, passing the book to Kaoru, who nodded in satisfaction,

"Good, we'll have you an algebraic genius by the end of the month." Kaoru joked approvingly as he closed the book and dropped it to the floor out of the way as Hikaru pulled one of the albums from the pile,

"Well, now that that's over, I brought our mother's albums, there's a lot of stuff in these." Hikaru said as he opened the black leather cover, revealing four photos of a same light blue kimono with delicate embroidered butterflies, the material looked like thick silk, held together by an obi of the same material, the sleeves long and flowing. The next was a more western styled dress, an old fashioned one from the seventeen hundreds or even earlier, it was pure white, the skirt a thick and flowing heavy looking material, the bodice tight and laced at the back and the sleeves a light almost transparent material. After this came two men's suits from a similar period, which the twins were wearing, one wearing a green coat and the other blue, the cuffs of the sleeves large and lined with gold, the buttons were large and done up, the frilled white cuffs of the shirt beneath protruding from coat sleeves. They both wore black half trousers that were met by long white socks, which the trousers neatly tucked under and the shoes were black leather with large gold buckles,

"Those were our costumes for our end of year ball, we were doing a period theme, so we got our mother to make the costumes for us." Kaoru explained as he looked down at his gently smiling face, his brother sitting casually opposite him with a similar expression. Turning the page there was a picture of Haruhi, but she had long flowing hair and wore a pink and white dress, it was mostly pink with a white under dress. The sleeves were short, the shoulders large and light, the long skirt reaching her toes, where the toes of her pinks shoes were showing. Mai continued turning the pages, listening to the twin's running commentary. Some of the designs were their mother's, some they have worked on with her and some they had made themselves. They went through seven thick albums in all, and by the time they were finished the sky outside was dark, and though Mai didn't know the actual time she felt tired as Kaoru added the last album to the pile on the floor.

"Kaoru, we need to go see mother about material shopping!" Hikaru said suddenly as he jumped over Mai and Kaoru to the floor. Kaoru nodded and got to his feet,

"Sorry Mai, we'll be back as soon as we can." He assured as he followed his older brother out of the room with a grin. _What should I do?_ Mai wondered as she looked around the room, which had a door to a bathroom, a door to a dressing room, two desks pushed together, four bookcases along the wall and odd rolls of material and sewing equipment scattered across the floor, the yellow and blue material suggesting it was left over from making Mai's school uniforms. Deciding it best not to go looking through the twin's personal belongings alone Mai settled for lying down where she was and waiting, however since she was already tired and the bed was soft and comfortable beneath her she soon found her eyelids drooping.

* * *

"Sorry we took so long Mai-chan." Kaoru apologised half an hour later as he and Hikaru returned, Hikaru holding onto a list.

"Hey, we'll go shopping tomorrow okay?" Hikaru said, turning to see his brother with his finger to his lips as a sign to be quiet, nodding to the bed, where Mai was curled up sleeping soundly in the centre, her short hair fanned out on the white pillow, her face innocent and peaceful.

"Well, it is getting late. I think it's time for bed." Kaoru said as he stretched and headed for the bathroom, quickly washing and dressing for bed, deciding to wear shorts and a tank top rather than just his boxers since Mai would be sleeping with them. As Hikaru went to the bathroom Kaoru climbed onto the bed next to Mai, lying on his side and looking at her sleeping face, she looked so peaceful lying there. He reached out and touched her cheek lightly, drawing back as she murmured in her sleep,

"Hm…" Hikaru hummed as he climbed over Kaoru and Mai and propped himself on his elbow wearing identical clothes to his brother, "Hey, Kaoru…you know this is the first time we've slept separately in over eight years." He said as he looked at his younger brother, who lay on his side looking up at him,

"Yeah…but as far as being separated goes…I can think of worse ways." Kaoru replied with a grin, the same look appearing on his brother's face,

"Good night Kaoru." He said as she he settled down behind Mai,

"Good night Hikaru." Kaoru replied from the other side.


	8. Chapter 7

DISCLAIMER - see chapter one

For those who haven't checked rescently i have updated and tidied up my profile, so what i have written should be easier to find ;-)

* * *

"Mai, get up! We're going to be late!" Kaoru urged as he jabbed Mai's side, already wearing his uniform as Hikaru ran around behind him trying to find his jacket, which he found underneath Mai's. Mai opened her eyes and sat upright, making Kaoru jump back in surprise, "Gah! Mai-chaaaan!" he said in his trademark host whine.

"Sorry Kaoru, are we going to make it?" she asked as she got to her feet disorientated. Kaoru laughed and pushed her back on the bed before handing her her uniform jacket and finding her shoes.

"We'll have to be quick." Hikaru replied as he shoved his books in his bag before moving onto Kaoru's,

"Oh Mai! We don't have time to drop by your house!" Kaoru realised as he placed her shoes at her feet, a guilty expression on his face as she slipped her feet into them, a thoughtful look on her face,

"Um…could you give me a lift home at morning break? I can handle the morning, but I don't want to go the whole day without a wash and change of clothes." She said as she stood and grabbed her bag, cursing quietly as she realised she didn't have any of her books for the day,

"We can handle that right Kaoru?" Hikaru said as he joined them, handing his brother his bag.

"Yeah, and I'll sit next to you so you can see my books for the morning." Kaoru added as he picked up on Mai's worry.

"And we'll take the blame for everything." Hikaru added, looking at Kaoru who nodded in agreement,

"What happened anyway?" she asked, "I thought you set an alarm." She added as Hikaru grinned and Kaoru looked sheepish, his cheeks turning slightly red as he looked at the floor,

"Kaoru must have knocked it in the night and turned it off." Hikaru replied, wrapping his arm around his brother's shoulders teasingly, Kaoru blushing apologetically, Mai laughing as she got to her feet and grabbed her bag,

"Don't worry about it, let's go." She said as she headed to the door, finding Hikaru and Kaoru on either side of her as they walked down the stairs. The mansion was huge, the walls were all wooden panels, the floor was a hard wood, making their shoes tap loudly as they walked. In Mai's opinion it wasn't a very homely home, it felt large and cold, not welcoming at all, but then she was used to living in a small cosy apartment while the twins had lived in huge mansions all their lives, "Um, are your parents home?" Mai asked as they reached the entrance hall, all the doors surrounding them open except the front door,

"Mum and Dad? No way! They barely even live in this house!" Hikaru laughed in reply, Kaoru nodding in agreement, and again Mai felt her heart drop. When she had had parents they had lived with her constantly, there was always someone there to greet her when she came back from school, they always ate together, her mother would read to her and her father would carry her to bed and tuck her in, _I don't understand how they could just…leave their sons like that…_she thought, the twins peering at her with confused looks,

"Mai-chan? Did we say something to upset you?" Kaoru asked in concern, Mai stopping with a blush,

"I-I just figured it must be lonely here without your parents…" she trailed off, the twins looking surprised, glancing at each other and then back at Mai,

"Not really." Hikaru replied bluntly, Kaoru nodding as Mai looked on in disbelief,

"They're always off on business trips for months at a time, always have been. They just don't have a lot of time for us, we spent most of our birthdays with our household staff, it's just the way things are." Kaoru elaborated, Mai looking more and more horrified by the minute, "It's okay, it doesn't bother us." Kaoru added assuringly,

"But…they're your parents…parents are supposed to be there." Mai replied, feeling a spike of bitterness flare up in her chest, _why? Why aren't they here for their sons? I'd give anything to have my parents back and here these people are neglecting their children! It doesn't make any difference to Kaoru and Hikaru if their parents are alive or not, so why did it have to be mine?_ She wondered, tears stinging her eyes as she remembered the day her parents had died, how she had been forced from her home to live with one of her teachers, who had kindly agreed to let her stay with her, and then Mai had moved into an apartment of her own a few years later.

"Mai-chan? Are you alright?" Kaoru asked in concern, seeing the tears glistening in her eyes ready to fall. At his question she quickly started walking, her hand raising to her eyes, he assumed it was so that she could wipe any sign of the tears away,

"Yeah, come on, we'll be late." She added with a cheerfulness the twins knew was fake. Kaoru and Hikaru looked at each other, both thinking the same thing, _should we ask her about it?_ But both came to the same conclusion, _she won't tell us._ And at the same time both stepped out of the front door, jogging to catch up to Mai and taking their original places at her sides. As they got in the limo and headed to school there was a peaceful silence between the three, Kaoru leaning on his hand and watching the world go by on one side, Hikaru leaning back in his seat dozing on the other side and Mai reading over the previous night's homework in the middle, her eyes widening in surprised as she felt a weight land on her shoulder, turning to see that Hikaru had fallen sideways as he slept, his head landing on her shoulder, his red hair tickling her cheek,

"Looks like Hikaru has the right idea." Kaoru said seductively as he leaned his head on her shoulder, Mai blushing as she turned to look at him, finding him looking up at her with a mischievous grin, _what's he up to?_ Mai wondered, half nervous and half excited, she had never been in a situation like this, as much as she wished she had with Naru. "Mm, Mai, your shoulder is comfortable…but I think down here will be even more comfortable." He added as he lowered his head and rested it on her breast, Mai's arms coming up in surprise, one hand lacing in his hair, her other hand touching his chest, her face a deep shade of red. "Mmm, I was right, it is more comfortable down here." he replied as he turned his face into her chest, his voice slightly muffled by the material of her jacket,

"Uh, Kaoru…" Mai said self-consciously, Kaoru turning his head to look up at her, his amber eyes soft and gentle, his senses filled with her light scent, a smile forming as he noticed her blush,

"I'm making you uncomfortable," he observed as he sat up, still leaning across her, supporting his weight on one hand resting between Mai and Hikaru, his face inches from hers, his spare hand coming up to brushed her bangs lightly, "Perhaps I should do something to help you unwind." He suggested, his head tilting as he drew closer to her, his lips almost touching hers, his breath brushing her lips lightly,

"Mmm," Hikaru groaned, Kaoru pulling back a little as his twin opened his eyes groggily, raising a hand to rub his tired eyes, "Are we there yet?" he asked, not seeming to notice the closeness of the other two as he sat up groaning and cracking his back and shoulders,

"Not yet, you should have stayed asleep longer Hikaru, then it would save you sleeping in Math class." Kaoru teased with a smirk, Hikaru groaning dramatically,

"But I like sleeping in Math class!" he whined as Kaoru usually would, Kaoru chuckling as he sat back in his seat and looked out of the window, "What are you reading Mai-chan?" Hikaru asked as he looked at the open book in Mai's lap, Mai looking flustered as she looked at the book,

"I-I was just looking over my Math homework." She replied with a blush, her gaze fixed on the book,

"Don't worry Mai-chan, it's fine! I helped you with it remember?" Kaoru asked teasingly as he shot her a grin. Mai blushed and nodded as she glanced at him, quickly returning her gaze to the book in her lap. "We're here!" Kaoru announced as they turned into the school grounds, the limo soon coming to a stop near the main doors, all the students already in class as they climbed out and ran up the steps to the school,

"Sorry we're late Toki Sensei!" Hikaru gasped as they entered the room, the tall dark haired woman at the front of the class turning with a frown as the three entered the classroom, her chalk just writing the title of the lesson on the board. She looked at the clock, ten minutes late,

"I'll let you off this time, but it's a mark on your record." She replied as she returned to the desk, "That's one for Taniyama-san, and four for each of you, Hikaru and Kaoru, you know what four point mean; you have detention after your last class tonight." She warned, looking up to see the twins heads hit their desks, Kaoru's pushed right next to Mai's, "Kaoru, please move your desk back." The teacher instructed,

"Uh! Sensei, due to circumstances I am responsible for, Mai-chan doesn't have her books right now, may I stay here until after morning break?" he asked respectfully as he got to his feet, the young teacher raising a thoughtful eyebrow, there really weren't enough books, so she didn't have much choice unless she was going to make class uncomfortable for Mai, and she hadn't been there long,

"Very well, but after morning break I want your desk back where it should be." Toki Sensei replied firmly, Kaoru bowing before sitting back down, flipping his book open and pushing it to the centre between the two desks, Mai and Kaoru leaning almost shoulder to shoulder as they read the passage of instructions carefully,

"Kaoru…I don't get it." Mai whispered as she glanced at the red head next to her, blushing as his hazel eyes turned to hers, an assuring smile on his face as he pointed at the passage,

"It's simple, you just have to break it down." He began, Mai's attention completely on Kaoru, so she didn't notice the suspicious glare Hikaru sent their way.

* * *

"Okay, you guys just wait here, I'm going to take a quick shower and grab my books." Mai called as she hurried into the bedroom, duping her bag on the floor and throwing her jacket and shoes off, rummaging through her draws to grab some fresh underwear before grabbing a new shirt from her wardrobe to leave on the bed and heading to the bathroom, Hikaru and Kaoru sitting on the sofa, a strange awkwardness between them that Kaoru didn't understand, but he was reluctant to raise the subject with his brother, who barely looked at him as he leaned forward and grabbed a magazine from the table, not seeming to care or notice that it was two days old, or that is was about makeup and fashion. _What's wrong with him? He seemed just fine earlier today…_Kaoru thought worriedly,

"Hikaru…" Kaoru said gently, Hikaru grunting in response without looking up, "Uh…I'll just go see how Mai's doing…" Kaoru added as he got to his feet, his brother grunting again absently as Kaoru headed into the hall, the bathroom door now open and empty, _I guess Mai's in her room…_he thought with a grin as he walked to her bedroom door, opening it quietly to see her in her bra with her back to him, her arm just slipping into the shirt sleeve as he stepped inside and closed the door, creeping over to her as the shirt slipped over her shoulders, "You look better with it off." He purred, his mouth right beside her ear, pulling back with a grin as Mai turned, her hands resting on his shoulders in surprise as she almost lost her balance, Kaoru's hands holding her waist gently,

"K-Kaoru! What are you doing in here?" she asked with a blush, very conscious of the fact that her shirt was wide open and he could see her white lace bra and a lot of the skin beneath, her heart pounding as he looked down at her mischievously,

"I came to see if you were ready…I'll help you." He murmured in reply, his voice as seductive as his eyes as his hands reached up and pulled her shirt together, his hands brushing her breasts as he deftly did up the buttons, his face moving closer to hers as his hands got further down her shirt, Mai blushing and leaning back, her heart still pounding as he drew closer, his hands leaving her shirt to slowly circle round the back, tucking the shirt into the light blue skirt, stepping closer to her as she stepped back, his hand reaching up to her shoulder blade, pulling her forward as he leaned down to kiss her, his lips capturing hers, pressing against them gently at first, Mai's body tensing as he stepped closer, his arms wrapping round her as he pressed more firmly, watching as her eyes closed, her body slowly relaxing. He smirked as he tilting her head back further, his tongue stroking her lips, Mai allowing him access to her mouth, his tongue stroking hers lightly, her hands gripping the front of his jacket tightly,

"Mai…Kaoru…we have to get back to school." Hikaru's voice called from outside the door, Mai and Kaoru breaking apart breathlessly, the pair looking at each other anxiously, both wondering and dreading what the other would say, "Kaoru! Mai-chan!" Hikaru called again,

"Coming." Kaoru called as he lifted Mai's tie from the bed and handed it to her, grabbing her bag and jacket as she lifted her collar and slipped into her shoes, tying the tie neatly as she and Kaoru headed out into the hall, where Hikaru waited impatiently, his hands in his pockets as he leaned boredly on the wall,

"Sorry to keep you waiting." Mai apologised as she struggled with her tie, Hikaru reaching out, his hands encircling hers gently as he straightened the knot and folded her collar down neatly, his hazel eyes meeting hers momentarily, looking away with a frown, "Hikaru?" Mai asked in confusion as he walked down the hall, not looking back and barely looking at Kaoru as he walked past, "What's wrong with him?" Mai asked in concern as she joined Kaoru by the door,

"I don't know…we'd better get back, don't want to be late again." Kaoru added with a smile, Mai nodding and heading down the steps to the limo, where Hikaru waited.


	9. Chapter 8

DISCLAIMER - see chapter one

I keep getting requests for longer chapters for this fic, and I'm afraid that's something I don't like to do since it always annoys me when reading a fic to find really long chapters because if you have to go out or something you lose your place, where with short chapters you can just finish them off. They do all come to 3-5 A4 pages on average so it's not that short, and the shorter the chapters the more likely I am to update regularly because I don't have to draw it all out into long chapters.

* * *

Mai walked into the clubroom deeply troubled. For the whole day Hikaru had been acting strangely, he barely said a word to her or Kaoru and each time he looked at either of them he had a dark look in his eye, as if they had betrayed him somehow, _I don't get it…what did either of us do to make Hikaru angry?_ She wondered as she pulled off her jacket and left it over one of the red sofas, heading into the changing room to put her bag away, the host club would be starting soon and she had to help set up, though right now she seemed to be the only one there. _I wonder what the others are doing now…Naru's probably sinking his teeth into a new case…Lin's probably typing up a report…Ayako? Probably making paper charms or maybe working in the hospital, John will be doing an exorcism somewhere; Masako…probably planning her next big date with Naru and Monk-san…Monk-san will be goofing off somewhere!_ She thought with a smile as she remembered his goofy grin as he ruffled her hair and his warm embrace as he comforted her. _I really miss him…_she thought, feeling a tug of homesickness, _this is usually where Kaoru and Hikaru come in and cheer me up._

"Mai-chan." One of the twins said, Mai turning to see Kaoru standing behind her, Mai smiling as she turned to him, _right on time,_ she thought, the slightly taller boy walking over to her with a devilish grin, his arms wrapping around her, his hazel eyes looking down at her seductively, _something's not right…_

"Hikaru?" she said in surprise, his hair brushed to the same side as Kaoru's, his face changing from seductive to annoyed as he pushed her against the wall and pressed against her roughly, "What are you doing? Ouch!" Mai cried as he pinned her wrists up above her head painfully, but as he looked at her he wasn't angry, _he's…sad?_ She thought as she looked into his eyes,

"I thought…you might like me better if I looked like Kaoru." He said, his grip in her wrists still painfully tight as he leaned in to kiss her, Mai pulling back as far as she could, but finally feeling his lips press against hers softly, his eyes closed as he pressed gentle kisses to her lips,

"H-Hikaru! Stop!" Mai insisted as she tried to pull free, Hikaru letting go of her and punching the wall beside her head,

"Damnit! Why? What makes Hikaru better than me?" he demanded as he glared down at her, Mai looking up startled, _is he…jealous?_ She wondered with a blush,

"But there's nothing going on between Kaoru and me." She replied innocently, Hikaru turning away, shaking slightly with rage as he raised his hand to his face,

"There's no need to lie, I saw you!" he replied as he looked over his shoulder, obviously hurt since his brother and newest friend were together and he was left alone,

"Oh, but you don't understand! He tried to make a move on me, and we kissed once but we're not…together." Mai tried to explain, Hikaru turning back, still wearing a hurt expression as he looked at her,

"Then why did you push me away?" he asked, Mai blushing as she looked at the floor awkwardly, knitting her fingers together nervously, _I really wish Monk-san was here right now…_she thought as she looked up at Hikaru, who still clearly awaited an answer,

"Well…I'm…I don't…" she stuttered awkwardly, gasping as she felt Hikaru wrap his arms around her, his eyes soft as he looked down at her,

"You're not sure who you like yet." He concluded, _oh no! He's got the wrong idea! _She thought, panicking as he pulled her closer,

"But you don't." she began, unable to say more as his lips captured hers in a light kiss, his lips just pressing against hers gently as his arms wrapped around her, Mai gasping as his hand slid beneath her shirt, Hikaru taking the opportunity to dip his tongue into her mouth, Mai moaning lightly and wrapping her arms around him, her hand buried in his flame red hair, her eyes closing as she lost herself in the feel of his lips. Mai gasped as she heard the clubroom door open and pushed Hikaru away with a blush, Kaoru entering the room,

"Oh, Hikaru, Mai-chan, where did you go off to?" He asked as he put his bag down and straightened his jacket, pausing as he noticed Mai's slightly rumpled shirt, his eyes sending a piercing glare at his twin, who looked away guiltily, "Oh, I see, you were making out with Hikaru behind my back!" he snapped as he turned his gaze to Mai,

"No! That's not it! I'm not." She began,

"She hasn't decided yet Kaoru, I was just putting forward my side to help her decide." Hikaru cut in, Mai sighing in exasperation as she raised a hand to her head, _why am I always getting interrupted when I have something important to say?_ She wondered in frustration,

"No! That's not it! Well, it is, just not how you think…that is…I'm not sure I like anyone yet…" she replied, the twins looking at her stunned, no girl had turned them down before, only Haruhi, who was now going out with Tamaki. Mai looked up with a blush before looking down at her feet, her bangs covering her eyes, "W-when I moved here, I left someone behind…he was never interested in me but." She explained, stopping suddenly to hold back a sob as tears suddenly poured down her cheeks, _oh God not now! Not in front of them!_ She begged inwardly, unable to stop the tears falling.

"Mai-chan…" Kaoru said as he watched her shaking frame, his eyes widening as tears slowly dripped from her eyes to the floor, her hands coming up to cover her eyes to wipe them away. Kaoru and his brother quickly made their way over to the girl, Kaoru holding her from the front while Hikaru held her from the back, "It's alright to cry when you're sad Mai-chan." Kaoru whispered in her ear, Mai clutching the front of his jacket tightly as she began crying quietly, Kaoru stroking her hair as Hikaru rubbed her hips gently, his head leaning on the opposite side to Kaoru.

"Kaoru? Hikaru? Mai-chan?" Haruhi's voice called, all of them looking up as Haruhi walked into the changing room, "Mai-chan! What's wrong?" the boyish girl asked as she put her bag down and walked over, Kaoru and Hikaru releasing Mai with identical blushes, "Why don't you two go set up while I talk to Mai, okay?" she asked brightly, the twins nodding in agreement, they knew that if anyone could cheer her up it was Haruhi. "Come and sit down." Haruhi said as she guided Mai out of the changing room and to a table in the corner, where she sat down beside the girl, pulling a handkerchief from her blazer pocket, "Here…tell me what's wrong." Haruhi said kindly,

"I…I don't know, I was just thinking about Na-uh, someone I…care about and I just…" Mai choked around her tears, Haruhi smiling sympathetically as she shifted closer, a look of pure understanding on her face,

"I know what happened. When you moved here you left someone you were in love with behind, but you never got the chance to tell him, so now you're confused because your interests are slowly turned…elsewhere." Haruhi said, Mai's eyes widening as she looked at the young woman before her, who gave her a bright smile, "I'm a girl too you know." She added,

"Oh, I know but…I just wasn't expecting you to be quite so…accurate." Mai replied uncomfortably, Haruhi laughing gently,

"You wear your heart on your sleeve, you're so open with your feelings even though you try not to be." Haruhi replied, "Don't worry, it's a good thing." She added assuringly, Mai sitting awkwardly for a few moments looking at the green grounds outside, the rose labyrinth visible from the room, many students mingling in the sun outside even though school was over, many of them on their way to after school clubs.

"Well…what should I do? I…I've been in love with him for over a year, but I never had the courage to tell him and then he sacked me and I had to come here…" Mai explained, Haruhi frowning in confusion, waving her arms at Haruhi,

"Whoa whoa whoa, time out, okay, let's start at the beginning here. Who was he? Tell me about him." Haruhi said, smiling as Mai got a far off look on her face, her expression softening as she thought about Naru, _what can I really say about him?_ She wondered, _how can I even express him in words?_ She thought,

"Well, physically he was just a few inches taller than me, he was well toned, but not too muscular, he had short black hair, his eyes were a deep ocean blue, but they were always cold, he was always serious, he never smiled, at least…there was one time…we'd had a bad argument and I'd said some…horrible things, but when I went to apologise…he smiled…" she said dreamily, Haruhi smiling softly, seeing the love glowing in Mai's eyes,

"And how about his personality?" Haruhi asked, a few girls sidling into the room and gazing at the pair in the corner, all of them frowning suspiciously, the twins taking them to tables to entertain them while Haruhi and Mai talked, a couple of boys arriving for Mai joining them at the twin's request,

"He was so serious all the time, he never joked or laughed, the only time he seemed to have any fun was when he was picking on me, but…he never meant it really…he seemed to enjoy making me mad, and he was a narcissist, always so full of himself, he knew he was good looking and intelligent and wasn't afraid to brag about it at times, and he always won, every argument we had he won, and he solved every case we worked on." She replied, Haruhi frowning as she listened, "Oh, I know he sounds like a real jerk, but…I loved him…he was kind, never overly cold, well…almost never…" she added as she remembered the way he had shrugged her off and sacked her,

"Mai-chan…I know you still have feelings for this guy, your old boss, but you can't let that get in the way of you finding happiness again here, believe me you won't find anyone like Kaoru or Hikaru anywhere in this world, and happiness can be short lived, so when you find it you have to take a chance on it…just think about it, you could do worse than one of those two." Haruhi advised, Mai nodding at her words and wiping the slowly drying tears away with a smile and a nod, "Ready to get to work?" Haruhi asked brightly,

"Yes, I think I am now." Mai replied, "Ah, Haruhi, thank you." Mai added as they got to their feet, the twins waving them over,

"About time you two stopped gossiping!" Kaoru called,

"Yeah, hurry up!" Hikaru replied, the female customers glaring at Mai suspiciously, a few of them whispering as she got closer and they saw her red irritated eyes and the white cloth in her hand, many of the girls flocking to Haruhi,

"Oh Fujioka-san! It was so nice of you to comfort Taniyama-san like that! We can forgive you for that of course!" They all agreed, the three boys who had arrived immediately fussing over Mai,

"Are you alright? Who made you cry?" they asked in concern, Mai insisting she was alright and that she was able to continue with their session, in fact since she had spoken about Naru and got her feelings out she was beginning to find she was feeling better, and her gaze fell on the twins more than a few times during the session, but there was one problem, _how do I choose between them?_

* * *

"Mai-chan, are you feeling better now?" Kaoru asked with a smile as he helped her wash the dirty plates and tea cups, Mai nodding with a slight blush, Kaoru's eyes warm as he looked down at her, "I'm glad." He said with a gentle smile,

"Um, thank you." Mai replied shyly,

"Hey, Kaoru, Mai-chan, you ready to go yet?" Hikaru called from the sofa, where he and Haruhi had been packing away the biscuits and cakes and wiping down the tables,

"Almost." Kaoru called, Mai pleased to see that they seemed to be back on brotherly terms, _but what will happen when the time comes for me to choose one of them?_ She wondered fearfully as she glanced worriedly as Kaoru, who stood beside her with his sleeves rolled up to the elbows, his tie gone, lying on the sofa with his jacket, _Kaoru really is handsome, but then, so is Hikaru obviously, and they're both so alike, but so different! Kaoru is so much calmer and more gentle than Hikaru, but Hikaru has his good points too, his inner strength and shy personality…_she thought as she went back to the washing up. She cleaned the last plate and put it on the drainer, Kaoru finishing the last cup and adding it to the pile,

"Just leave them to dry, I'll put them away before I go." Haruhi said as she saw Mai pick up a tea towel, "I'll be staying late to finish off this essay." She added as she sat writing at the table by the window, Mai nodding and going to gather her things, blushing as she found Hikaru waiting with her jacket held out and ready for her to slide into. She slid her arms into the light blue sleeves and went to button it up, finding Kaoru's hands already there before she had a chance to start,

"Here Mai-chan, I've got your bag." Hikaru said as he reappeared at her side holding her bag out, the three of them leaving with a quiet good bye to Haruhi, none of them wanting to distract her from her work, _come to think of it I should do some work myself…_Mai thought guiltily as she headed down the stairs with Kaoru and Hikaru on either side of her,

"So, are you coming to our house for the night?" Hikaru asked as they reached the bottom of the stairs, Mai blushing as she remembered the night before as she lay sleeping peacefully between Kaoru and Hikaru,

"Uh, I hardly think it's appropriate!" Mai replied quickly with a blush, the twins stepping ahead to block her way before looking back at her,

"Why not?" Kaoru asked Hikaru nodding in agreement with his brother's question, _of course, say that to the twins who sleep together every night without a second thought!_ She sighed inwardly,

"Its just not." She replied as she walked through the gap between them, the twins looking perplexed as they hurried after her,

"But why? We're friends right? It's not like we do anything…you know…" Kaoru trailed off meaningfully, Mai sighing as they headed outside,

"Look, it's just not normal!" Mai argued, the twins smirking as they closed in on either side of her, Kaoru leaning down to nip her earlobe lightly,

"But being normal is so boring don't you think?" he purred,

"I'd rather be different, it's much more pleasurable." Hikaru added as he licked the rim of Mai's ear, Mai blushing and pushing them back, _are these really the guys I go for?_ She thought with a sigh,

"I'm going home, I'll see you two tomorrow." She called over her shoulder, the twins smiling as she went,

"You don't want to go after her Kaoru?" the older twin asked, Kaoru smiling at his brother with a shake of the head,

"If she wants us she'll call." He replied, his brother nodding in agreement as they climbed into the limo.


	10. Chapter 9

DISCLAIMER - see chapter one

* * *

_Home sweet home…_Mai thought with a sigh as she entered her apartment, nothing but darkness and silence greeting her as usual, _guess I should be used to it after over two years,_ she added as she slipped out of her shoes and walked to her bedroom, where she sighed and walked to her desk, taking out her bags to do her homework,

"Math?" she groaned aloud as she looked at the complicated sums, _there's no way I can do this!_ She thought as she flicked through the sums, almost throwing the book across the room in frustration, _I need help! Oh no, no no no no no, I am not going to call Kaoru! No way!_ She insisted as she pulled the book back to her, looking down and reading one of the sums, her eyes glazing over, _I can't call him every time I have a problem!_ She thought, _but maybe just this one..._she added as she went to the kitchen and picked up the phone, checking the number on her mobile as she dialled, the phone only ringing twice before it was picked up,

"Hello?" A young feminine voice asked politely, _a woman? Oh! The maids, of course, I forgot about them,_ she thought,

"Um, hi, is Kaoru there?" she asked nervously,

"Of course, who shall I say is calling?" the maid asked kindly,

"Oh, its Mai." She replied, listening as the phone was put down on a hard surface, hearing nothing but the loud grainy hum of the line for a few minutes until she heard it being lifted,

"Mai-chan, I had a feeling you'd call." Kaoru's voice chuckled lightly as he put the phone to his ear, Mai blushing as she imagined the satisfied smirk on his face, _he knew? How dare he set me up like that! That's just the sort of thing that…Naru would do…_she thought, her frustration and anger giving way to homesickness, "Mai-chan? Mai?" Kaoru asked, his tone worried as she came out of her reverie,

"Yes, I'm here um…could…could you come over?" she asked, almost choking on her tears, _God, why am I crying again? I thought I was over this!_ She thought, the sound of her crying travelling through the line to Kaoru's concerned ears,

"It's okay Mai-chan, we'll be there soon!" Kaoru said, the line going dead before Mai could get out another word, and with the call done she sank to the kitchen floor and pulled her knees to her chest, tears running down her cheeks, _I don't understand…I just feel so alone…_

* * *

"She was crying?" Hikaru said incredulously as his younger brother grabbed his school books and pulled a jacket over his white T-shirt and jeans, Hikaru following with his own jacket in hand,

"Yeah, come on! Hurry!" Kaoru replied over his shoulder as he ran down the stairs, the maids already waiting with the doors open, bowing as the twins ran by and down to the waiting limo, "Step on it!" Kaoru ordered as he looked at the middle-aged driver through the blacked out glass, the speed of the limo increasing slightly, the twins both fidgeting worriedly.

"We're here!" Hikaru exclaimed as Mai's apartment came in view, opening the door and hopping out before the limo had fully stopped, Kaoru dismissing the driver for the evening before he ran after Hikaru, who was already banging on Mai's door loudly,

"Mai-chan!" Hikaru called as he knocked, Kaoru standing behind him out of breath as the door opened and Mai stood there with a bright smile, her eyes still slightly red as she stepped back and allowed them to enter, "Are you alright? What happened?" Hikaru demanded as he looked around the flat, seeing nothing out of place,

"Nothing, nothing at all, I'm fine." She lied with a bright smile, Kaoru smiling as he dropped his bag by the door and pulled Mai into his arms gently,

"Don't lie Mai-chan…" he said gently, Mai relaxing as she breathed in his scent, reaching up to wrap her arms around his shoulders, _he's so…warm…_ she thought, her eyes widening as she felt another pair of arms wrap around her from behind, Hikaru's scent blending with Kaoru's, his scent almost exactly the same as his brother's only a little more musky,

"Are you feeling a little better now Mai-chan?" Hikaru purred in her ear, Mai blushing as she looked over her shoulder and came nose to nose with him, Kaoru leaning forward to nuzzle the side of her head, breathing in the soft honeyed scent of her hair,

"Y-yes, thank you." she replied nervously, Hikaru smiling warmly as he pulled back, Kaoru also pulling away,

"Good, now I believe you wanted help with your math homework." Kaoru said as he picked up his bad and headed to Mai's bedroom, Mai hurrying along behind with a frown,

"I don't remember telling you that." Mai said suspiciously as she watched Kaoru unpack his books on her desk, looking over his shoulder with a grin,

"I knew we had math work, so I assumed you'd be calling." He replied easily, Mai scowling at him, _Damnit! I hate being set up like this!_ She thought as she walked over to him,

"I'll start dinner!" Hikaru called from the hall, Mai hurrying to the door to see him strip off his blue jacket and head into the kitchen,

"Wait! You really don't have to do that!" Mai called as she hurried after him, blushing as she watched him reaching up into one of the cupboards, his back delicately arched, _wow, he really looks good standing up like that…_she thought, shaking her head quickly, "Hikaru! Please, I don't want you to do this, just go and relax." She insisted,

"But then we'll all be hungry." He replied with a bright smile as he pulled a saucepan out of the cupboard and put it on the hob, looking up at the food in the cupboard thoughtfully, "Don't worry, I know my way around the kitchen." He insisted as he looked at her again, shooing her away,

"Um…thank you Hikaru." She mumbled shyly as she backed out of the door, Kaoru leaning on the doorframe of her room watching her with his arms folded, a gentle smile on his face as she turned back to him, "Oh, Kaoru." She said in surprise, walking past him into her room,

"So, you like Hikaru hm?" Kaoru asked as he stood behind her as she organised her books across the desk, her hair brushing her cheek as she leaned over,

"Um, well, of course, I like both of you." she replied, blushing as she felt his hands on her hips, his groin pressed to her rear as he leaned over her, his chest resting on her back as his lips brushed her ear,

"But who do you like more?" he purred, falling back to the floor as Mai jerked back, massaging his jaw where Mai had accidentally head butted him, Mai blushing as she looked down at him,

"I-I'm sorry are you alright?" she asked as she held her hand down to him, gasping as he pulled, Mai falling on top of him, her knees on the floor beside him as one hand rested on the floor while the other remained in Kaoru's grip,

"I'm feeling better now." He replied as he raised his other arm to her back, pulling her down gently with a gentle smile, Mai blushing as their noses touched,

"Could we just do our homework?" she asked awkwardly, Kaoru looking a little hurt as he released her, Mai kneeling at his side as he got to his feet and walked to the desk,

"Okay, come on." He replied, his back still to her, _oh no, I-I didn't mean to upset him!_ She thought as she got to her feet, hesitating as she looked at his rigid back, _I don't know what I can do without giving him the wrong impression or making him more upset…_

"Kaoru, I didn't…" she began, pausing thoughtfully as he looked over his shoulder at her, _great, now what?_ She wondered nervously, "I don't want you to think I'm…rejecting you…I just don't know yet…" she continued awkwardly, Kaoru's gaze softening,

"Come here." He said, Mai obeying hesitantly and finding herself in a warm embrace, his lips pressing her forehead gently, "Now…let's take a look at these sums." He said as he released her and leaned over her books, allowing Mai to take the only chair at the desk as he stood over her,

"I'll get you a chair!" Mai said as she realised he was standing over her, his hand on her shoulder stopping her,

"I'm alright, don't worry about it." He insisted as he looked down at the sums, "Stop trying to get out of doing your homework." He added teasingly, Mai laughing as she looked down at the questions,

"Alright." She replied, Kaoru leaning down to point at the different parts of the sum, explaining it slowly as she tried to get her head around the equations, working for half an hour, but not making much progress, throwing her pen at the wall in frustration,

"Mai-chan! It's okay, calm down!" Kaoru laughed as he retrieved the pen, putting it on the desk as Mai slammed her forehead on the edge with a loud painful bang, "Didn't that hurt?" Kaoru asked gently as he peered at the side of Mai's face, her hair hiding her expression.

"Yes." She replied, her head still on the desk, Kaoru putting a hand on her shoulder gently,

"You okay?" he asked, half concerned and half amused,

"Sort of." She replied, Kaoru pulling her back to see blood on the desk, all amusement gone from his features as he grabbed the box of tissues from her bedside and pulled out a bunch, pressing the thick bundle to her nose, the blood quickly soaking through.

"Okay, okay, tip your head back." Kaoru soothed gently, his hand reaching to the back of her neck to lean her head back, her nose scrunching in discomfort as the blood ran back up her nose, Kaoru removing the tissue and dabbing the blood away, his fingers pinching her nose, not feeling any broken bone, "Well, it's not broken, I guess the knock just…set the bleeding off." He reported, "Stay there, the blood will stop quicker." He advised as she went to raise her head,

"But it's uncomfortable." Mai replied, her voice sounding a little muffled since her nose was blocked, Kaoru smiling at the sound, _she's so cute,_ he thought as he handed her the tissues,

"Fine, but don't say I didn't warn you." He warned lightly as she put her head up, the blood flowing once again as Mai held the tissue a her nose, blowing lightly to get more blood out, "Don't do that! You'll make it worse!" he exclaimed,

"But if I get the blood out it'll stop." She replied, Kaoru sighing and patting her head,

"Just trust me on this Mai-chan." He said, Mai blushing slightly as she peered up at him, fresh red stains all over the white tissue, the blood colouring her fingers as she turned the tissue, not liking the warm feel of the wet tissue on her skin, "You're getting all bloody." Kaoru sighed as he got another tissue, taking the old ones away.

"It's stopping." Mai reported as she pulled the tissue away, Kaoru nodding as she sniffed,

"I guess you won't be doing that again too soon." He teased,

"Doing what again?" Hikaru asked from the doorway, Mai blushing as she looked over her shoulder as him, wiping the last remnants of blood away quickly, "What happened?" Hikaru demanded, sending a fierce look at his brother,

"Mai got a little frustrated with her math work." Kaoru replied with a light chuckle,

"I hit my head on the desk…" Mai added sheepishly, Hikaru's eyes widening as he went over to take a closer look at her, holding her chin gently as he examined her nose with his eyes, "Um, I'm okay." Mai said with a blush, Hikaru pulling back slightly with a nod,

"Okay…anyway, dinner's ready." He said as he headed to the door, Kaoru jumping onto his shoulders enthusiastically, Hikaru bending beneath the weight with a laugh,

"Alright! What is it Hikaru? What is it?" Kaoru demanded as Hikaru staggered down the hall, Mai walking along behind with a gentle smile,

"K-Kaoru! Can't breathe!" Hikaru choked, Kaoru releasing him and dropping to his feet, still hanging onto Hikaru's shoulders, Hikaru laughing as they stumbled down the hall, "Kaoru! You'll see in a minute!" He replied as they approached the table, Kaoru diving into a chair and grabbing his chopsticks and looking at all the plates of food on the table, there was a bowl of rice for each of them along with plates of fried vegetables, crispy chicken, onions and bean sprouts, noodles, miso soup and soy sauce.

"Mmm! Hikaru! You made all my favourites!" Kaoru cried dreamily, his eyes wide as he looked at the steaming food, Hikaru and Mai looked at each other and smiling as they sat down, Kaoru barely able to hold himself back,

"Okay, let's eat." Hikaru said as he picked up his chopsticks elegantly, Mai and Hikaru laughing as Kaoru dived into the food, shovelling the rice down at a speed Mai wasn't sure she'd seen before, _he eats faster than Monk-san, and he could eat fast!_ She thought fondly. Mai shifted her gaze to Hikaru, who ate slowly and methodically, seeming to contemplate each bite slowly, silently savouring every bite, _I bet that this is how Naru eats…_she thought as she watched him, Hikaru pausing with wide eyes as he glanced over at her, Mai blushing and looking down at her own food, trying a bit of the crispy chicken with some rice and stopping, _my God! It's delicious!_ She thought as she tried some of the vegetables, which still had a bit of a crunch as she ate them, _just how I like them…_

"I can't eat any more!" Kaoru declared as he put his chopsticks down, Mai and Hikaru chuckling as he left the table and went to lie on the sofa,

"Ten Yen says he'll be asleep by the time we finish." Hikaru whispered, Mai smiling and nodding as they continued eating, the only sound at the table was the quiet clink and tap of chopsticks on the plates and bowls. As Mai finished and lay down her chopsticks she crept to the sofa and looked over the edge, Kaoru sleeping peacefully with his bangs hanging over his eyes lightly,

"You were right, looks like I owe you ten Yen." Mai said as she returned to the table and gathered some of the plates, Hikaru gathering the rest,

"I wasn't serious." He replied with a smile as they headed to the kitchen, Mai putting her load on the counter as she ran a tub of water, while Hikaru put his stack beside hers, "Don't you have a dishwasher?" he asked as he looked around,

"Yeah, but I'm used to washing them myself." She replied with a blush as Hikaru opened and began loading the dishwasher, smiling at Mai as she looked over with a blush from the sink,

"Come on, if we use the dishwasher we can watch a film before we go to sleep, right?" he asked as he closed the door, Mai emptying the sink and drying her hands, _such a waste of water…_she thought as she watched it drain with a sigh, following Hikaru into the living room, where Kaoru was now sitting up rubbing his tired eyes, _so cute!_ Mai thought with a smile as she walked over and sat beside him, Hikaru sitting on Mai's other side as he turned the television on,

"What would you like to watch?" Mai asked as she looked from one twin to the other, Kaoru still looking sleepy,

"You choose." Hikaru said, watching as Mai got up and knelt to look through her small collection of DVDs, putting a disc in and letting it play, Hikaru ready with the remote as Mai settled beside him, Hikaru turning slightly and pulling her back against his chest, one arm loosely around her waist as the other leaned on the arm of the sofa, Mai blushing and Kaoru looking at the pair sulkily,

"Kaoru," Mai said gently, pulling his arm until he was leaning down over her, his head soon resting on her lap as he curled up beside her, his eyes slowly closing as he snuggled against her, Mai smiling as she allowed one hand to run gently through his soft red hair while the other rested on Hikaru's knee gently, _you know…being here like this…it feels really…nice._ She thought as she settled comfortably against Hikaru and allowed her own eyes to drift closed.


	11. Chapter 10

DISCLAIMER - see chapter one

* * *

Mai turned over and opened her eyes, finding herself face to face with Hikaru, _where?_ She wondered as she sat up and looked around, finding herself in her own room, Hikaru sleeping soundly beside her, _but we were…_she thought, the bedroom door opening to reveal Kaoru with a towel wrapped around his waist, his hair dripping down his chest,

"Hey, Mai-chan, Hikaru, you'd better get up and get dressed." He said as he ran a hand through his damp locks, Mai looking at the clock, about an hour and a half before they had to be at school. Behind her Hikaru groaned in his sleep and turned over, Kaoru sighing as Mai smiled,

"Hikaru…time to get up." Mai said gently as she shook his shoulder, his hazel eyes opening to peer over his shoulder at her sleepily. "Come on, you can use the shower while I brush my teeth." She said as she pulled him onto his back and got to her feet,

"Huh?" Hikaru asked stunned as he looked at her wide-eyed, Mai looking back as she headed for the door,

"You heard me, move!" she ordered, Hikaru's steps following her to the bathroom, where he breathed a sigh of relief as he saw the shower block was dark, the plastic door not transparent at all, "Here, you can use these." She added as she pulled some towels out of a small cupboard and handed them to him,

"Thank you Mai-chan." He replied as he climbed into the shower, Mai turning her attention to the sink, sighing as she looked at herself in the mirror, _I hope there will be a little warm water left for me…_she thought as she picked up her toothbrush and the toothpaste,

"I'll start breakfast." Kaoru said as he walked by in his tight black underpants, Mai blushing as she put the brush in her mouth and started scrubbing her teeth,

"Put some pants on!" she said around the brush,

"You know you love it." Kaoru teased with a wink, Mai blushing indignantly before going back to her teeth, Kaoru smiling to himself as he wandered down the hall to the kitchen, humming lightly as he entered the kitchen. _Now, let's see what's in the fridge…_he thought as he bent down and opened the door, the cool air making goose bumps prickle his skin, _I know I'm not as good as Hikaru at cooking, so I'll keep it simple…_he thought, pausing as a knock sounded at the door, "I'll get it!" he called as he headed to the door and pulled it open, seeing a rather handsome man with long light hair tied up in a ponytail, his brown eyes looking down at the red head quizzically at first and then in embarrassment,

"Oh! I'm sorry! I must have the wrong flat, I'm looking for Taniyama Mai, do you know which room is hers?" he asked politely, a sheepish grin on his face as he looked down at Kaoru, who smiled and stepped further back holding the door open,

"Don't worry, you got the right place, come on in, Mai-chan!" he called, "You have a visitor!" he added, the young man's eyes widening as Mai put her head out the door, still wearing her skirt and shirt from the night before, her toothbrush in her hand, just rinsed out as she looked through the door,

"Monk-san!" she said in surprise, the monk looking from her to Kaoru and back again, "This so isn't what it looks like," she added sheepishly with a blush as Kaoru looked at her and back at the monk perplexed,

"Hey, Mai-chan, who's at the door?" Hikaru asked, draping his bare arm over her shoulder as he leaned out of the door, wearing only a small towel around his waist, Mai blushing as she looked at him over her shoulder, his eyes on Monk-san warily,

"No, it's not what it looks like! It's a whole lot worse than what it looks like!" Monk-san exclaimed, his face blanching as he watched Hikaru lean so casually over Mai,

"Hikaru! Go put some clothes on!" she ordered with a blush as she looked at him, "You too Kaoru!" she added, Kaoru smirking as he walked over to her, Hikaru smirking and leaning down to nip her ear as Kaoru cupped her chin with his hand,

"Why don't we help you change too Mai-chan." He said seductively, Mai pushing him back with a stern look,

"This is no time to joke! Go on!" she ordered, the twins sighing sulkily as they headed to her bedroom to get dressed,

"Monk-san, you uh, take a seat, I'll be with you in a few minutes." She assured as she closed the bathroom door, Monk-san going to the sofa and sitting down with a sigh, pulling his hair out of its ponytail and letting it hang at his shoulders, running his hand through the golden locks, glaring at the twins as they entered the room wearing the uniform of Ouran,

"You had better not be leading her on or so help me!" he trailed off meaningfully, the twins glancing at each other conspiratorially before looking back at the monk, both of them walking to stand on opposite sides of him,

"Oh, I see." Kaoru said as he looked down at the older man,

"You like Mai-chan." Hikaru concluded, the monk looking back and forth between the pair,

"Aren't you a little old for her?" Kaoru asked, Hikaru nodding in agreement,

"A monk too," Hikaru added,

"And you call yourself a man of religion." They scoffed, Monk-san looking back and forth between them again in confusion,

"Mai-chan? You think I? No! No no no, you got it all wrong!" he insisted, sighing as the twins grinned at each other, "I'm just a friend of hers, and I don't want to see her hurt again." He added firmly, the twins glancing at each other before leaning down to Monk-san,

"You know him?" Kaoru asked,

"The one who hurt her?" Hikaru added curiously, Monk-san looking up at them with a nod,

"Of course, I worked with them." He replied with a smile as he crossed his legs, the twins sitting on either side of him, looking at him curiously,

"Worked with?" they asked, Monk-san looking between them, _how can two people be so in sync? Then again, I hear identical twins often have a limited psychic link,_ Monk-san thought,

"Yeah, before she came here she had a part time job with Shibuya Psychic Research, a group of ghost hunters." He added, the twins looking thoughtful as they contemplated his words, "I know, ghost hunting is surrounded by a lot of controversy in the media, and nothing is proven, but it's true, and there's never been a case that Naru couldn't solve." He added, the twin's interest peaking,

"Naru?" they asked,

"Yeah, it's the boss's nickname, short for narcissist. His real name is Shibuya Kazuya." Monk-san replied, the twins nodding,

"And he's the one?" Kaoru asked, Monk-san looking at the floor darkly with a nod,

"What did he do?" Hikaru demanded,

"It's…not what he did…it's what he didn't do." Monk-san replied, stopping at Mai's loud cough, the three men turning to see her scowling at them sternly, "But of course we shouldn't be talking about such things, hey, nice uniform, that wasn't the one you showed me in the book." He added hastily as he got to his feet, Mai blushing as he circled around her with an impressed whistle,

"Actually, Kaoru and Hikaru made it for me." She replied, Monk-san pausing thoughtfully,

"Kaoru…Hikaru…I know those names! Hitachiin! You're the Hitachiin twins right? No wonder this uniform is so…beautiful." He exclaimed as he walked around it, "Their mother makes fantastic clothing! I guess the genes got passed down." He added with a grin as the twins stood up proudly,

"Uh, where did your uniforms come from?" Mai asked as she looked over at the twins, Kaoru waving it off,

"I went back and got them when I woke up." He replied,

"Oh…" Mai replied, _what a dumb question that was! Of course they went back and got them!_ She thought as she looked up at Monk-san, "What are you doing here anyway?" she asked,

"Oh, I was just in town you know, I have a concert close by so I thought I'd drop in." Monk-san replied with a grin as he ruffled her hair affectionately, the twins grinning as they watched Mai fuss and straighten her hair as Monk-san teased her, both pausing as they felt the twin's eyes,

"What?" Mai asked in confusion as the twins chuckled,

"Oh it's nothing, you guys just seem close." Kaoru replied,

"Like brother and sister." Hikaru added, Monk-san laughing as he ruffled Mai's hair again,

"Well, that has been my kind of role for the past two years, come on Imouto-chan, I'll buy you and your boyfriends here breakfast." He said as he walked to the door, Mai blushing and hurrying after him, Kaoru sighing as he picked up Mai's bag from beside the door,

"They are not my boyfriends!" she replied, the twins glancing at each other, both a little hurt by the matter of fact dismissal,

"Mai-chan, forgetting something?" Kaoru called as he stepped out the door, Mai blushing as she hurried back and took her bag from Kaoru,

"Thank you Kaoru." She said as she stood on tiptoe and planted as swift kiss on his cheek, walking a few steps before hurrying back and giving a rather sulky Hikaru a kiss too, hurrying on to catch up to Monk-san as Hikaru blushed.

"Easy Hikaru, that's my girl you're looking at." Kaoru warned lightly,

"I think you're mistaken Kaoru, she's my girl." Hikaru replied firmly, a small look of rivalry passing between the pair before it was covered by their usual cheerful natures, both of them nervous about the outcome of Mai's decision, _can I really choose Mai-chan over my brother?_ Kaoru wondered as he walked, "What are you thinking?" Hikaru asked, Kaoru looking up to see Hikaru looking at him, his eyes telling him that they had both been thinking along the same lines,

"Nothing much…" Kaoru lied, Hikaru knowing he had lied but leaving it for now, they would wait and see what happened before they made any moves of their own.

"Hey! Hurry up you guys!" Mai called as she climbed in the front seat of Monk-san's car, the twins hurrying and getting in the back of the white car,

"Okay, I found a nice café on the main street, I'll take you there." Monk-san decided as he started the car, "So…what have you been doing?" Monk-san asked as they drove and he glanced at Mai,

"Not much…I made some friends, Haruhi, Kyouya, Tamaki and the twins of course." She added, "Um, Haruhi and the twins are in my class, so we spend a lot of time together there, but I also joined the Host Club, it's a club where young woman come to be entertained by the men of the class, um, when I arrived we opened up the option of men coming to the club for entertainment." She replied, Monk-san's eyes widening as he looked at her, Mai turning his head back to the road,

"You mean you're spending your free time flirting with guys?" he demanded incredulously, Mai blushing as she nodded,

"Yes, well, not strong flirting, just…tea and conversation." She replied, Monk-san sighing in exasperation,

"You have to be careful Mai-chan! I know what young men are like, if you flirt like that you could get yourself in deep trouble." Monk-san warned, the twins leaning in between the seats,

"If that happened they'd have us to deal with!" Kaoru replied,

"I'd kill anyone who tried to force Mai-chan!" Hikaru declared passionately,

"Okay…that's good to know." Monk-san replied awkwardly, the twins sitting back in satisfaction,

"Monk-san…how's everyone else doing?" Mai asked as she looked across at the monk, who sighed at her question,

"To tell you the truth, not good…since you left the office has been…inhospitable to say the least. Lin's had a hard time keeping Naru's temper in check, he's even refusing to see Masako, and you know how things have always been with them, she doesn't call anymore, last I heard she had left the country for America, no one knows when she'll be back. John's in Australia at the moment on a case in his hometown, Ayako is working fulltime at the hospital now, doing the odd case here and there, we meet up when we can, but my band moves around a lot at the moment, you know how things are. I had lunch with Lin the other week, I'm telling you he's seriously worried about Naru…Naru himself I haven't seen for a few months, but from the way Lin-san's talking he spends half his time like the walking dead and the other half in a horrible temper." Monk-san replied, feeling guilty for giving Mai such a depressing reply to what she was probably hoping to be an uplifting question. "Sorry I couldn't give you better news Mai, but it seems things have really fallen apart without you around." he added apologetically, Mai looking out of the window sadly, _Naru…_


	12. Chapter 11

DISCLAIMER - see chapter one

AUTHOR'S NOTE - Hey, I know, this fic hasn't been updated in a long time, and it is the same with many of my others. I remind you all here that I have a degree to do, as well as many other projects of my own. This and blanks in my writing have stopped me updating, and this can be expected for a while, but it is almost summer, so you can all look forward to a pick up in my out-put soon I hope. Sorry for keeping you all waiting, and I hope you enjoy these few new chapters ;-)

* * *

"Mai-chan? You okay?" Kaoru asked as they entered the school. At breakfast she had been somewhat preoccupied, obviously with the news about what was going on where she used to live. _Hell, I'd be worried if it was my friends too…_he thought as he snuck a look at her face,

"Hm? Oh! I'm fine, I'm fine!" She insisted with a forced smile as she waved over her shoulder at Monk-san as he drove off. _You're not fooling anybody!_ Kaoru thought with a sigh as he pulled Mai into his arms, his twin holding her from the other side, students looking at them, mostly with jealousy, as they passed.

"You don't have to pretend you know? It's been, what? A month now? We know you too well for that." Kaoru said quietly by her ear, his brother humming his agreement as he nuzzled the other side of Mai's head,

"That's right…it's okay to admit you're worried…" Hikaru purred comfortingly, his hands gently massaging her hips. Kaoru felt Mai sigh, her weight in his arms increasing as she leaned her head on his neck, her delicate hands reaching up to grip his jacket,

"Thank you…both of you." She replied quietly, Kaoru smiling softly into her hair, breathing in her honeyed scent as he wrapped his arms more tightly around her. "Do you…think we could go somewhere and talk?" She asked as she looked up at him, the bell for the start of class sounding. Kaoru gave her a warm smile and released her, looking at his twin, who nodded.

"Sure, come on, quickly!" He said as he grabbed her hand and ran, pulling Mai behind him. Hikaru grabbed her other hand and following behind, all of them laughing as they ran, imagining the class watching them from the room above as they rushed off. Kaoru veered right and pulled Mai with him into the rose maze, following the path he knew so well, the path that would lead straight to the centre of the maze. At the centre was a small wooden alcove with a bench and table, where he climbed up and sat, Mai sliding in beside him while Hikaru took the other side.

"So, what was it you wanted to talk about?" Hikaru asked as he caught his breath, the three of them slowly recovering as they sat around the table together, the fact that they were missing class finally sinking in on Mai's part,

"Well…I'm just…" She trailed off awkwardly,

"You're worried about your friends, right?" Kaoru prompted as he turned to face Mai, who nodded, her expression looking downcast, "Well, call him." The younger twin said simply, Mai looking across at him in shock.

"Here, use this." Hikaru added as he pulled out a sleek flip phone from his pocket and handed it to her with an assuring smile, but Mai didn't take it,

"But…" She trailed off, Kaoru taking the phone and putting it in her hand, looking at her seriously with his deep amber gaze,

"The only way you'll ease your worry is by talking to him…do it Mai." He ordered firmly, Mai looking over her shoulder to see Hikaru nod his agreement, _Kaoru…Hikaru…they really are caring,_ Mai thought, a warm feeling filling her chest, "We can stay if you like." The younger added with an assuring smile, Mai nodding gratefully as she dialled the number she knew by heart.

"_Hello?_" The familiar voice on the other end said coldly, a small blush colouring Mai's cheeks as she listened, _it's really him…it's Naru…_she thought as she took in a breath, "_Hello?_" He asked again, his voice tinged with impatience,

"I-It's me." Se heard herself say in a voice barely above a whisper as tears began to fill her eyes, the other end going quiet for a few moments, _did he hang up?_ she wondered worriedly,

"_Mai?_" Naru's voice asked uncertainly, quivering slightly, though Mai took it to be a trick of the line. Mai smiled softly at the sound of his voice, _it feels like it's been so long!_ She thought fondly, able to close her eyes for a moment and pretend she was sitting right there with him in the small office as her desk.

"Yes, yes it's me." She replied, unable to help feeling that something was different. She has expected to feel…something more than what she was feeling. She felt a strong sort of nostalgia, a warm feeling, a sort of fondness for the memories, but that was all, and it bothered her.

"_What is it? Is everything alright? Are you okay?_"Naru asked in a rush, his voice sounding worried, which was a rarity for him. She had only seen him worried on a few occasions, usually when she was in danger, and there had been a few in her time there. There was the time she fell down a well, the time she had been knocked out by an accident in the science lab, when the ceiling of the nurse's office had fallen down, when she had run off on her own to look for Masako, and a few more, but he rarely let his concern show through.

"I'm fine, really fine…I just called to see how you were." Mai replied, not stopping the worry from entering her tone as she spoke. She heard the familiar sigh on the other end of the line and smiled, knowing that Naru was about to make up some excuse to keep her from worrying,

"_I'm fine…I have to admit the office has been less crowded lately, but that's not surprising, most of the others only came here to goof off._" He replied lightly, the tone of his voice the same as always, even when he was trying to joke. It wasn't like Naru to joke,

"Are you sure you're alright? You did get another secretary didn't you? It's a lot of work for just you and Lin-san!" Mai pointed out, imagining the taller Chinese man was probably sitting in his office laden down with work because she had left.

"_Mai, don't worry, really. Things are quite quiet around here right now with Masako away and everyone else off working their own cases, but this just means that things are back to normal…don't get me wrong, it was alright working with everyone, the cases got completed a lot sooner, but it was just me and Lin before so…things are as they should be._" Naru replied, his voice unable to hide the barest hint of regret. _It must be so lonely…being alone again, just the two of them…did I really change things so much?_ Mai wondered as she looked at the hedge with a far off look,

"Ne, Mai-chan, we should get back to class soon." Kaoru said, just loud enough to let Naru hear on the other end of the phone,

"_Who's that?_" Naru asked, a small blush colouring Mai's cheeks as she looked at Kaoru,

"Oh, that was Kaoru. He's one of my friends." Mai replied somewhat awkwardly,

"Hey! Don't forget me!" Hikaru added loudly,

"And his brother, Hikaru. We're all in the same class." Mai added hastily, knowing that Naru had heard every word. For a few moments the line was quiet, _he hasn't gone has he?_ she wondered worriedly,

"_I'm glad…you've made new friends Mai._" Naru said, his voice filled with warmth for a change, so much so that she could imagine the smile on his face from her dreams, _wait…my dreams…since I came here I haven't…_she trailed off with a start, "_Mai?_" Naru said from the other end,

"Oh, yeah, yeah, it's great…well…I should go, but Naru!" Mai said quickly before he could put the phone down…

* * *

"_Do me a favour…call Masako and talk to her? Monk-san said she was really worried about you before she left…I'm sure she'd be glad to hear from you._" Mai said on the other end. Naru allowed a small smile to cross his lips since he was alone in his office. _A few weeks ago she would have been celebrating the fact that Masako wasn't around…things really have changed…_he thought as he sat back in his large leather chair and looked at the file in front of him.

"Yeah…I really shouldn't have shrugged her off like that…I'll call her after work." The teen decided as he looked at the photograph on his desk, the one Mai had given him for his birthday. It was a picture of the whole group, he knew it was Mai's favourite, and he had to admit, he had a fondness for it himself.

"_Well…maybe I'll see you again if I come back to visit._" Mai said, obviously preparing to follow Kaoru's advice and head back to class, _what's she doing skipping out on class anyway? Maybe she's in with the wrong crowd…_he worried momentarily, "_Well…bye Naru._" Mai said in an easy cheerful voice that made Naru smile,

"Good bye Mai, and Mai…it was good to hear from you." He replied warmly, knowing that Mai was smiling on the other end,

"_You too Naru, good bye_." She said before hanging up, Naru replacing the phone on his desk, unable to get the smile from his face for a few minutes. The phone call had really cheered him up, _I guess I was just worried about her…_he thought as he turned his chair to face the window and stared out at the buildings opposite, his thoughts far off,

"Naru?" Lin's voice called as he knocked on the door and entered, his eyes widening slightly as he noticed Naru's relaxed posture, though he looked as serious as ever,

"Yes Lin, what is it?" Naru asked as he turned back to his desk and looked down at the file, his blue gaze avoiding the stoic Chinese man.

"You asked me to remind you about the seminar meeting. It starts in an hour." Lin reported, watching as the younger man stood up from his desk and grabbed his jacket, grabbing the file from his desk before hurrying by,

"Thank you, and Lin…remind me to call Masako tonight. She left the number for the hotel with you didn't she?" Naru asked as he walked by and headed for the main door, Lin trying to hide his surprise and relief as he watched his young charge slip on his jacket,

"Yes, I'll have it ready for you when you get back." Lin replied as Naru left the office, a smile breaking out on his face as he looked at the closed door. There was only one person he knew of who could produce this sort of change in the younger boy, _Mai…_

* * *

"Hey, is this the host club?" A familiar voice asked from the doorway. The twins watched as Mai broke into as smile and hurried into view of the door, "There you are." Monk-san said with a grin as Mai hurried over to him, the older man laughing as he ruffled her hair. The twins smiled at each other as they watched the older man teasing Mai,

"It's good to have the old Mai back, right Kaoru?" Hikaru said with a fond look as Mai smiled and laughed. For some reason Mai seemed easier since she had spoken to her boss,

"Yeah." Kaoru replied, thinking of the look on her face as she had spoken to the man on the other end of the line. _He made Mai look so happy by barely saying anything at all! How can either of us compete with that?_ he wondered warily, his brother eyeing him suspiciously as they finished setting up for the club to begin.

"Mai, who is this?" Kyouya's business voice asked as he approached the pair with his clipboard, eyeing the older man through his glasses,

"Oh! Kyouya, this is Monk-san, he's a friend from my old town." Mai replied cheerfully, Monk-san shaking the younger man's hand firmly with his usual open attitude, something about this young man gaining his approval,

"Hey, thanks for getting Mai involved in all this, she really seems to have settled in here thanks to you guys." He said, Kyouya waving it aside, "So, do you mind if I stick around?" he asked,

"What about your concert?" Mai asked as she looked up at Monk-san curiously. He had taken his coat and hat off, but still wore the cowboy boots of his band outfit,

"Oh, we don't perform until tonight, earlier was just a rehearsal." He replied with a grin, Kyouya's interest seeming to peak at this,

"A band?" He asked,

"Yeah, nothing that you upper classes would listen to I'm sure, we're just a small rock group, though we're popular in these parts." Monk-san replied as he folded his arms and leaned on the door frame,

"Hey! We like rock!" Hikaru spoke up as he and his twin headed over, Kaoru nodding his agreement.

"No kidding?" Monk-san chuckled, pulling his phone out of his pocket and tossing it to the older twin, "Go ahead and listen." He said, Hikaru putting the music on while the five of them listened. The music was good, even with the bad quality of the phone speakers,

"Well, Monk-san was it?" Kyouya asked,

"Yeah, or you can call my Takigawa." The monk replied with a grin,

"In that case, Takigawa-san, I will wave the fees of the host club for you and your band if you could join us in one of our ventures." The young business man offered, Monk-san liking the cunning attitude of the young man before him,

"Sure, and maybe you two could help us out with something too." Monk-san replied, turning his attention to the twins, "We were thinking about new costumes, think you can help out?" He asked, the twins grinning mischievously as they circled Monk-san predatorily.

"I don't know Kaoru, what do you think?" Hikaru said thoughtfully as Kaoru gazed at Monk-san's well built chest through his white long sleeved top,

"Well…cowboy is somewhat out-dated, so something new and fresh, but appropriate for the genre." The younger twin replied,

"Leave it to us!" They said together, hurrying off to their section to wait for the princesses while mumbling conspiratorially.

"Are they always like that?" Monk-san asked as he watched them go,

"Invariably." Kyouya replied before taking Monk-san aside to talk business, leaving Mai to head to her own section, which was still close to Haruhi's, but not too close. Mai looked across as the door to the host club opened and Haruhi walked in hand in hand with Tamaki, the twins letting out a cry of 'Lord!' before rushing over, "I thought you were working with your father again today?" Kyouya said as he looked up from his clipboard at the blonde,

"I was, but father had an unexpected meeting and had to cancel, so I am once again free to grace the host club with my presence." He replied handsomely, turning to the door as the first batch of young ladies entered, along with a couple of young men for Mai.

* * *

While the hosting was going on Monk-san wandered from table to table watching them work, the twins playing the incestual role, Tamaki acting like a prince, Haruhi being both shy and involved while Mai was her usual open and friendly self. Kyouya himself didn't seem to do much, however he was constantly in thought, and his business skills were impeccable. In return for free access to the host club any time they were in the area, and for the costumes the Hitachiin twins had agreed to make, Monk-san and his band would play a show in the summer as an evening treat for the princesses.

"Monk-san, please, join us." Mai invited with a warm smile as she saw him hovering not too far off, his presence making some of the younger men nervous. He smiled and sat down, Mai introducing him to her, by now, regular customers. He watched as she expertly poured out the tea, offering the plate of biscuits around the table.

"Hey! I know you! You're part of that rock band! The Psychic Rockers! You guys are amazing!" Torro exclaimed as he looked at Monk-san. Who grinned sheepishly at the attention, many of the young ladies turning to him curiously, a few of them recognising him, but most of them not.

"Yeah, I'm in town for a gig tonight." The older man replied easily, many of the girls loving his cool and easy attitude as he leaned back on the sofa beside Mai and crossed his legs.

"Really? Where is it? Are there any tickets left?" The dark haired boy asked enthusiastically, Monk-san chuckling as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a pad,

"Sure, just give me your name and I'll have them let you through, we're at The Black Hole, you know, that nightclub on Ouran Avenue." Monk-san replied as he pulled out a pen,

"This is so cool! I'm Torro Takini." Torro replied, his brown eyes swimming with admiration. Monk-san wrote down his name, handing him a small pass before looked around at the other eyes looking at him,

"Anyone else what to come? It's free." He added, a few of the more curious ladies taking passes, as well as Mai and the twins, Kyouya, Tamaki and Haruhi having to decline due to work, though they very much looked forward to the gig they would play at the high school in the summer, and Kyouya took the opportunity to inform the princesses about it, many of them excited about seeing older men around the school.


	13. Chapter 12

DISCLAIMER - see chapter one

* * *

Once the club finished Mai packed up with Haruhi while the twins worked on the other side of the room and Kyouya finalised the details of the summer performance with Monk-san and Tamaki, who was thrilled to be able to hear live 'commoner music.'

"Well, the gig starts at seven thirty, and we'll be on at nine!" Monk-san called from the doorway, "I've got to get going, but I'll see you tonight!" He added with a wave as he headed out, Mai smiling and waving as he went. She watched the door close with a sigh, feeling that something had changed, but she wasn't sure what. Since she had spoken to Naru earlier it felt like some sort of heavy weight had been lifted from her heart, she had been smiling like an idiot all day.

"Something good happened earlier, right?" Haruhi said with a smile as she and Mai headed over to the window for a little privacy,

"Well…I guess it was good…" Mai replied, Haruhi waiting for her to continue, "I spoke to Naru earlier…it felt nice…but…" She trailed off, still bothered by what she had felt, or hadn't felt. Haruhi smiled and looked out of the window, her hands in her pockets, looking very much like a boy at that moment,

"You know…it's okay to feel different. You don't have to be infatuated with someone to care about them." She replied, calming Mai's fears, _Haruhi's right…just because I don't think about him every minute of every day, or dream about him every night, it doesn't mean I don't care about him._ She thought firmly, "And it's okay to feel strongly for someone else." Haruhi added meaningfully, which was something Mai hadn't expected, _I haven't even thought about that…not since I spoke to Naru…_

"Mai-chan! You ready to go?" Kaoru called from the doorway, his uniform somewhat rumpled since the club had finished, Hikaru looking little better.

"I'll be right over!" Mai called, turning back to Haruhi, "Thanks, you always know what to say." She said gratefully, Haruhi waving it off before watching the other girl run over to the twins. Hikaru helped her into her jacket while Kaoru did up the buttons, Hikaru then handing her her bag, _it's a shame they can't just…stay like that. I wonder what will happen when the time comes for Mai to choose…_Haruhi thought with a troubled look as the trio left.

* * *

"Mai! Come over to our house!" Kaoru urged as they walked out of the school, the girl eyeing them both suspiciously, though both looked innocent enough. _They look innocent, but they always want something when they invite me over so enthusiastically…_Mai thought warily as Hikaru tugged her arm,

"Yeah! Come on Mai! Come on!" He said excitedly, Kaoru taking her other arm and pulling her towards the waiting limo,

"You're not going to wait for my answer are you?" Mai questioned with a sigh as they got to the limo, the twins replying with a simple 'no' before pushing her inside and climbing in after her, Hikaru circling around her and sitting on her other side while Kaoru pulled the door shut, "So, why were you so insistent?" Mai asked suspiciously as she eyed the twins,

"We have to make your outfit of course!" Kaoru replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world,

"We have your measurements, but if you're there you can tell us what you like." Hikaru added, Mai blushing as she looked back and forth between the two, both of them so calm and easy about everything,

"Wait, you've already made me my uniforms! You can't keep making things for me!" She insisted, her cheeks reddening further as Kaoru leaned in, taking her chin in a gentle grip with a handsome smile,

"But we enjoy making things for you, Mai-chan." He said seductively, Mai feeling heat pool between her legs, something that had been happening more and more lately, a feeling that she hadn't had before her move to Ouran. She pressed her legs together and shifted back, finding herself against Hikaru's chest,

"That's right, you have the perfect figure." He replied as his hands stroked her hips, Mai's breath quickening as he leaned his head on her shoulder, images of him biting her and slowly inching his hand between her legs filling her mind, _what are you thinking Mai-chan?_ she demanded inwardly as she sat up and crossed her legs, folding her arms firmly,

"Are you alright?" Kaoru asked worriedly, thinking that he had somehow offended her.

"I'm fine." Mai insisted worriedly, a large part of her wanting nothing more than to kiss the younger twin and pull him against her chest, while another part of her wanted Hikaru to continue massaging her hips and go further, slipping beneath her clothes to tease her, _stop it!_ she snapped mentally, the twins looking at her in concern as her arms shivered slightly,

"You're cold." Kaoru observed as he pulled her to his chest, a blush covering Mai's cheeks as she found her head resting on his shoulder, his delicious scent filling her senses, a weight pressing against her back as Hikaru wrapped his arms around her waist. Mai gradually calmed down as she settled into the familiarity of their presence,

"We're home" Hikaru observed as the limo pulled up outside the large white mansion. As they headed in the twin maids were waiting dutifully, welcoming the trio before hurrying back to their work as usual. Mai followed the twins, watching as they drew slightly ahead talking together about materials, _should I choose one of them? What about Naru? Even worse, what about them?_ she wondered, imagining the turmoil it would cause. The twins had always been together like this, so what would happen if she came between them?

"Mai, come here." Kaoru called as they walked into a different room, one of the ones near the top of the stairs. She looked up as she walked, coming out of her guilty reverie and following them into a large room that was filled with materials, drawing boards, measuring equipment, mannequins, half finished outfits and boxes with the Hitachiin clothes brand on them.

"So, what do you want to wear tonight?" Hikaru asked as he headed to the drawing board, Kaoru close behind.

"Really, you don't have to." Mai began, her cheeks reddening as Kaoru's finger touched her lips to stop her talking, a warm and seductive smile on his face as he leaned closer to her,

"He didn't ask **if** you wanted it, he asked **what** you wanted." The younger twin said as he stepped back, Hikaru spinning to her on his stool with a similar expression,

"Exactly, so what do you want to wear?" He asked, picking up a mechanical pencil and checking the tip, clicking the end to get a little more lead. Mai blushed and thought, wondering what she would usually wear to go out, which is when she realised that she wouldn't. She had never been out to a gig before.

"Hm…I think a tight fitted black shirt with a V-neck." Kaoru began, Hikaru nodding his agreements and beginning to draw as Kaoru stared at Mai with piercing eyes, Mai blushing as she felt him undressing her with his eyes, "A tartan skirt, short, pleated, in dark read and black with a chain on one side from front to back." He continued, Hikaru continuing to draw as if he could vividly visualise exactly what Kaoru was seeing,

"And she needs a jacket, I was thinking half length sleeves on the shirt." Hikaru added, Kaoru leaning over his shoulder to look at the drawing he had started, nodding at whatever he saw in approval,_ I wonder if twins really have some sort of psychic link…maybe I should ask Monk-san when I see him later…_she thought as Kaoru turned his attention back to her,

"A jacket huh?" He said to himself thoughtfully, "Got it! A light black material, some of that almost denim stuff, with black lace around the sleeves, and a lot of lace at the bottom, you know, really sticking out, then six buttons in three rows of two, and a belt that pulls in the waist, you know, so it's fitted and flairs out below the waist." Kaoru described, Hikaru nodding his head at various intervals as he scribbled quickly, the younger brother watching over his shoulder, "Right, exactly!" He encouraged.

"How about shoes? We have a large selection." Hikaru said as he looked at Mai's feet,

"I was thinking knee length black leather with maybe a…two inch heel?" Kaoru said questioningly, Hikaru squinting a little and shaking his head,

"More two point five." He said as he walked to a small cupboard and opened it, searching inside until he found the box he was looking for, "You're size five right?" He called over his shoulder, looking at Mai while she nodded. As he hurried over he opened the box to show her the shoes,

"We don't make shoes, but we keep a large supply around." Kaoru said as Mai looked at the black leather boots, the heel nice and thick, just as she liked them. She couldn't stand stiletto heels. "Go ahead and try them, they're made by one of mother's partner companies." The younger twin added as he watched Mai slip into one of the boots and zip it up, quickly changing into the other one,

"Well?" Hikaru asked expectantly, Mai taking a few steps around in surprise, _these boots are so comfortable! I've never walked in a pair of boots as comfortable as these!_ she thought as she stopped and looked down at them,

"They're really great!" She replied as she turned to the twins with a smile,

"Great! You can have them." Kaoru said with a warm look, Mai blushing and about to open her mouth to object before feeling Kaoru's light fingers on her lips, the tips so soft as they touched her sensitive skin, "If you say anything other than 'thank you' I'll have to find a way to stop your mouth." He added seductively as his hand left her mouth to stroke her reddened cheek, his mouth inches from hers,

"T-Thank you, thank you very much!" Mai replied as she stepped back and bowed, Hikaru lifting her chin, his face inches from hers with a kind smile,

"You don't bow to us Mai." He said firmly as he straightened her up, the girl bursting with objections,

"But you've both been so kind! I can't just accept this without a show of gratitude it would make me seem so." She stopped, her eyes widening as she found Kaoru's lips against hers. His amber eyes looked at her half lidded as he devoured her mouth slowly, his arms wrapping around her and pulling her closer, Kaoru only stepping back at the indignant cough of his brother,

"That was mean Kaoru." Hikaru said in a hurt tone, Kaoru turning and caressing his older brother's cheek,

"You're right, I should pay more attention to you brother…but I did warn Mai-chan that if she said one more negative thing that I would stop her mouth." Kaoru added with a boyish grin as he looked at Mai's flushed cheeks._ Does he even know what he's doing? How am I going to avoid pulling them apart if they keep doing things like this?_ she wondered worriedly,

"In that case, I too will take the opportunity…" Hikaru trailed off as he stepped up to Mai, her cheeks reddening once again as his lips hovered inches away from hers, slowly closing the distance and kissing her, but he was a little inexperienced compare to his brother it seemed, though it wasn't unpleasant, just a little slower and less certain.

"Let's get to work Hikaru." Kaoru said, his spirit's a little dampened, as were Hikaru's it seemed. "Mai, go wait in our room, okay?" Kaoru asked with a renewed cheerfulness that his brother seemed to share. Mai nodded and left the room, closing the door before leaning back on the heavy dark wood, holding her breath to stop the tears coming, _am I doing it? Am I already tearing them apart?_


	14. Chapter 13

DISCLAIMER - see chapter one

* * *

"Kaoru…" Hikaru said quietly as he grabbed the role of black material, not turning to his brother, who had taken over drawing, finalising the design, and Kaoru didn't look up either as he paused in his work.

"I know." Was Kaoru's simple reply, the atmosphere of the room lying thick and heavy between them as if a barrier had gone up. They had both watched the woman they were growing to love kiss another man, their own brother in fact, the single person they were closest to in the world.

"So what do we do?" Hikaru asked as he took the material to a large work bench, not daring to look over his shoulder at Kaoru, who gripped the pencil tightly,

"We wait for her decision." The younger twin replied, Hikaru looking at Kaoru over his shoulder, seeing the younger boy sitting still as a statue, both thinking the same thing,

"What about us?" Hikaru asked finally as the silence grew to much for him to handle,

"I don't know." Kaoru replied quietly as he hung his head, holding back the tears, remembering the way Hikaru slowly drifted away before when Haruhi arrived, _he can't always be by my side…we can't always be together…but we can both be happy with that right? I was prepared to let him go last time, wasn't I?_ Kaoru wondered, remembering the way he had slowly watched Haruhi and Hikaru walking away from him, both stopping to wait for him after a few steps.

"We'll be okay, right?" Hikaru asked desperately, needing the assurance of his brother. Kaoru didn't answer at first as he regained his composure,

"Who knows…people drift apart you know? They grow older, get married, move away…It happens." Kaoru said as he slowly shaded the drawing, filling in Mai's measurements as a reminder, though he knew Hikaru had them memorized, just as he had.

"I-I don't want to." Hikaru replied as he slowly approached Kaoru, neither of them wanting to be left behind, neither of them wanting to be alone, but both of them wishing to obtain Mai's heart. Kaoru turned to his brother with a smile,

"Let's just leave it for now…we have some clothes to make." He decided as he held up the finished design, Hikaru smiling as he took the page with a nod and looked at it. Kaoru followed him to the work bench, where they set to work quickly and quietly, both working hard to make the outfit in time for the gig.

* * *

"I can't believe you made this! It's amazing!" Mai exclaimed for the tenth time as the limo pulled up outside the club, both Kaoru and Hikaru wearing black shirts and trousers with expensive shoes and Mai wore the outfit they had made, only stopping in their two hours of non-stop work to eat a snack.

"I'm glad you like it Mai." Kaoru replied with a smile as they approached the club, hearing their names called from a side door, where Monk-san stood waving them over. The security guard at the side nodded them in, where they hurried after Monk-san into the back dressing room, three other men about Monk-san's age were sitting around waiting inside.

"Mai, Kaoru, Hikaru, these guys are the other members of my band, Souki, Ishizeki, and Kimishi, otherwise known as Sou, Zek and Kim." Monk-san introduced, the young men nodding as they were introduced. Sou was a topless guy with long dark hair, his chest well toned, but not overly muscular. He would have been tall if standing, but he lounged in a comfortable chair tuning a guitar. Zek had hair a little shorter than Monk-san and a few shades darker dressed all in black, his hands fiddling with a set of drumsticks and then there was Kim, who had the most feminine name, but the least feminine looks of all of them. He had short hair that swept down over one eye with a slight stubble on his chin and a cigarette between his lips, fingerless leather gloves covering his hands, a guitar sitting at his side.

"Yo." He greeted, holding up a hand, his brown eyes trained on Mai, who blushed and stepped back,

"She's too young for you Kim." Monk-san teased, the other man breaking into a grin,

"Don't start Hou, you old man!" Kim retorted, Monk-san looking at them sheepishly,

"Hou?" Kaoru said questioningly,

"Yeah, my name is actually Takigawa Houshou, so Hou is my band name." The monk replied, Kim pulling off his leather jacket to reveal a tank top beneath, the twins wandering around looking closely at the men, humming thoughtfully,

"You all have very different outfits…what do you think Hikaru?" Kaoru asked as he looked across the room at his brother, who was closely examining Sou's chest,

"I think we can work with this." He replied,

"Oh, you're the Hitachiin twins, Hou told us about the gig set up for us in the summer." Zek said as he tapped his leather covered knees with the wooden sticks, one of his feet lifting and dropping in rhythm, his other one doing the same occasionally. The twins turned to him with a grin,

"That's us, don't worry, we'll plan an awesome new look for you." Hikaru assured as he examined the drummers movements, _he'll need something that's not restricting, something that'll let his arms move fast and wide._ Hikaru decided as he watched the man's arms fail about in a planned motion that sometimes looked careless.

"You're the singer right?" Kaoru asked Kim, who nodded towards his guitar,

"Second guitar too." He added as he took a drag of his cigarette, Kaoru looking at him thoughtfully, _his tough guy attitude demands leather, a sort of biker look? No! it needs to be more, and he needs to be able to move about and jump around the stage…_

"You, you're lead guitar." Hikaru said as he pointed at Sou, who nodded as he strummed the strings lightly, seemingly satisfied that it was tuned, "Do you move a lot around the stage?" The older twin asked,

"Well, not much I guess, I mean I jump about occasionally, but nothing so drastic as Kim." He replied, not even looking at his hands as he strummed, _no long sleeves, they'd get in the way, and if he isn't jumping about so much then maybe a man-skirt, that would go well with his figure, and the fact that he's topless tells me he gets hot on stage, so a transparent tight material for the top?_

"That would leave the bass to you, right?" Kaoru observed as he turned to Monk-san, who had watched the proceedings with interest, wondering what the twins were thinking as they looked them over,

"Yep, bassist, song writer and composer, with a little input from Kim." He added as Kaoru scrutinised him, _this guy likes a hat, so he doesn't like to be noticed too much…his hair is good, maybe a head band for him? He's got a good figure, so anything tight would work…a leather shoulder jacket? Maybe…_

"Psychic Rockers! You're on in ten!" A voice called, Monk-san putting his head out the door with thanks. The atmosphere in the room seemed to change. The four men seemed to get a little quieter, a little more reflective, Kim's leg twitching steadily, his drags on his cigarette becoming longer, his breaths deeper,

"We should get into the club." Mai said, the twins nodding as they headed for the door, Mai smiling at Monk-san as she walked by, "Have a good show." She added as she walked by, the twins allowing Mai to walk out first before following behind.

* * *

Naru held the phone to his ear as he waited. The man at the hotel had said he would patch him through to Masako's room, but the phone had rung five times already and she wasn't picking up. Naru felt his heart quicken slightly at the thought, _is she alright? She hasn't slipped in the bath or something has she?_ he wondered as he waited, though for a change he didn't feel impatient. _Talking to Mai really did make me feel…better…_he thought as he sat on the edge of his bed.

"_Hello?_" Masako's voice finally said as the phone was picked up. Naru paused at the sound of her voice, his throat stuck, he suddenly couldn't speak. This had never happened before. "_Hello?_" She asked again,

"Masako…it's Naru." He said finally, unsure of what he should say next, his eyes widening as he heard quiet sobs on the other end of the phone, _what's going on?_ he wondered worriedly, "Masako! Are you alright?" he asked uncertainly, _come on Masako! Say something!_

"_I-I'm so glad!_" Masako cried on the other end, the happiness in her voice shining through her tears. This wasn't what he had been expecting, this was more the behaviour he expected of Mai. Masako was supposed to be the traditional composed young lady of the group, "_I was so worried when you started cutting me off! I thought you'd never speak to me again!_" She cried, Naru's eyes widening slightly, _how could I have been so foolish? I was so wrapped up with my own problems I never stopped to think about anyone else…_

"I know…I'm sorry Masako." Naru apologised as he settled back on his bed, listening as the young medium calmed down on the other end,

"_I'm so happy you called…I was really worried_." She said again as her tears subsided. Naru looked up at the ceiling as he often did at night, only he was usually lost in thought rather than on the phone, _she worries too much…she's just like Mai…_ he thought fondly, _only…she's not…_he added, reflecting on all of their small differences in thought and action.

"How's your trip going?" Naru asked conversationally as he turned on his side, not wanting to think about anything for the moment, especially Mai. On the other end Masako seemed surprised by his question,

"_Oh, it's been okay so far. Everyone is so helpful and kind here, my tour is going really well…I was just getting out of the shower when you called, I have a dinner party in an hour or so._" She replied enthusiastically, Naru pushing any thoughts of what she was wearing out of his mind, feeling quite awkward to have interrupted her like that,

"Sorry, I didn't realise…I thought you might have been ignoring me." He added apologetically as he listened to Masako move about her room, probably getting dressed to go out as she spoke to him.

"_Of course not! I told you, I was hoping you would call…_" She trailed off, something making Naru feel relieved. Was it that she was worrying about him? Forgave him? Needed him? Naru couldn't say, but he did know he felt some form of relief.

"Do you know when you'll be back?" Naru asked as he looked across at his curtained windows, the black material blocking the world outside from view, the only light coming from the lamp on his bedside table. On the other end he heard Masako shuffling about, obviously constricted by her kimono once more,

"_In around two weeks_." The petite girl replied, Naru hesitating before speaking again,

"When you get back…would you mind helping at the office for a while? Lin and I are a little laden down at the moment…" He asked warily, hoping she would say yes, though he wasn't sure why.

"_Yes, yes of course! I'll see you in two weeks._" She replied, obviously preparing to say good bye.

"Perhaps we could go to dinner." Naru said suddenly, unsure what had possessed him to say such a thing, and judging by the silence on the other end of the line Masako didn't know either.

"_I'd like that…well, I'll see you soon._" She said shyly, her tone making Naru's heart beat just a little faster,

"That sounds good…bye." Naru replied as he hung the phone up and turned onto his back with a sigh, _what am I getting myself into?_

* * *

"Mai!" Torro called, Mai turning to him with a smile at the sound of his voice, joining him in the front row. "Are you alone?" he asked in surprise as she joined him, both of them looking up to the stage, where The Psychic Rockers were just setting up, Monk-san finding them and waving,

"No! Kaoru and Hikaru are just getting some drinks!" she shouted over the loud chatter of the club and the warm up of the instruments on stage. Torro turned and looked around, straining to see over the people, but it was far too busy, and he could hardly move with the amount of people jostling him about,

"We're back!" Kaoru's voice shouted above the crowd as he appeared at Mai's side, Hikaru stepping between Torro and Mai, giving the young man beside him a possessive look,

"Just in time too!" the older twin added as he looked up at the stage, the band just starting. Mai had to admit, it was fun at the club. Monk-san's band was great, everyone who knew the words were singing, and the ones who didn't just danced, or jumped or moshed, none more enthusiastic than Kaoru and Hikaru. They jumped, nodding their heads, their hair shifting and tangling as they laughed. Mai watched them both for a while, laughing and occasionally shouting across to Torro, who was happily singing along to the music. Mai sipped the drink she had been handed, tasting the alcohol with a frown,

"We can't drink!" Mai shouted disapprovingly, Kaoru and Hikaru already half way through theirs, both drinking bottled lager while Mai drank coke with something in it, she hadn't drunk before, so she wasn't entirely sure what it was,

"Don't worry Mai!" Kaoru replied,

"We're almost legal!" Hikaru added as if that made everything alright, and Mai had to admit he had a point, after all it wasn't as if they were kids that didn't know about it, and they weren't overly irresponsible either. Mai took another sip of her drink, gradually unwinding as time went on.

* * *

Kaoru and Hikaru took turns in going to the bar, and Mai quickly lost track of the amount she had drunk, though she didn't think she was in double figures. She looked at the drink in her hand and wondered where it came from, it was a different colour to the ones Kaoru and Hikaru had been giving her, _they must have tried something different…_she decided as she took a sip, standing at the wall waiting for the twins to reappear since they had gone off dancing again.

"Mai…are you feeling alright?" Torro asked as he stopped beside her, Mai slumping back against the wall, _what's going on? I don't…feel so good…_she thought as the room shifted in and out of focus, her head feeling thick and heavy, "Stay here! I'll get some water!" Torro decided as he rushed off into the crowd,

"No…wait…" Mai said quietly, her voice lost in the noise of the room, _I'm getting dizzy!_ she thought in a panic, registering someone's touch, _what's going on?_ she wondered as she felt a body press against her, hands groping her body, _no! stop it! Don't touch there!_

* * *

Kaoru hurried through the crowd in the direction Torro had pointed, Hikaru going off in a slightly different direction to make sure they didn't miss her. _We shouldn't have left her alone! She's not used to drinking! We shouldn't have kept buying her drinks!_ he thought guiltily as he hurried through the crowd, looking at the wall for Mai, _where is she?_ he wondered as his eyes scanned the crowd, finally falling on a helpless feminine figure pressed against the wall by a teenage boy,

"Mai!" Kaoru cried as he pushed through the crowd, the blonde man licking and kissing Mai's neck, one hand up her top while the other had slipped up her skirt. He felt sick watching, Mai's eyes unfocused, her body unmoving and her breaths coming in gasps, "You bastard!" Kaoru shouted as he grabbed the man's short hair, ripping him away from Mai, who remained against the wall,

"Mai!" Hikaru's voice joined in, grabbing Mai as she slid to the floor. Torro quickly pushed through the growing crowd with a pint of water, hurrying to Mai's side as the security guards pushed through. When they arrived Hikaru was helping Kaoru with the blonde man, both of them pulling against the guards as they were peeled off,

"What the hell is going on here?" Monk-san demanded as he jumped down from the stage and walked over, the twins and guards trying to talk at the same time, "Alright! Shut up!" Monk-san shouted, a silence falling across the room, "Kaoru, tell me what happened!" The older man ordered sternly, Kaoru pulling himself free of the guard with a scowl,

"He was taking advantage of Mai!" he replied, the blonde getting to his feet massaging his bruised jaw, blood trickling from his lip. Monk-san shifted his gaze to this man and clenched his fist, striking him hard and watching in satisfaction as the blonde fell to the floor once more,

"Get him out of here! And release Hikaru!" Monk-san ordered firmly as he looked down at Mai, who was slowly drinking the water with Torro's help, his arm around her shoulders as he tilted her head back on his chest. Monk-san took a look in her eyes and tapped her cheek lightly, "This is bad…I'd say she's been spiked…" He said worriedly as Torro took the glass away, "I should take her home." The older man decided as he got to his feet,

"We'll take her…you're still working, right?" Kaoru pointed out as Hikaru leaned down and lifted Mai into his arms, Monk-san stroking her hair gently as she leaned into Hikaru's chest, her hand reaching up to grip his jacket,

"Alright, but you stay with her, you hear me?" Monk-san insisted, the twins nodding as security dragged the blonde away, fully intending to have him searched before he left in case of drugs. Outside the limo was waiting in the car park, the driver reading a paper as they approached,

"Shoji, take us back." Kaoru ordered as he climbed in beside his brother, who laid Mai out across both of their laps, letting Mai's head rest in Kaoru's lap, the younger twin stroking her hair while Hikaru stroked her legs, both looking at her worriedly as the car pulled away.


	15. Chapter 14

DISCLAIMER - see chapter one

* * *

At the mansion Kaoru carried Mai securely in his arms, the unconscious girl eliciting small moans of discomfort as he went. Hikaru had hurried off the to the kitchen to grab some things he thought they might need through the night, but Kaoru was wishing now that his brother was with him,

"N-Naru…" Mai sighed as her eyes twitched beneath the lids, _she's out cold…I hope she'll be okay…_he thought worriedly, his heart clenching slightly as she said her boss's name, but on the bright side it wasn't his brother. At the top of the stairs Kaoru carried on to the bedroom, kicking the door open gently and hurrying to the bed, where he laid Mai on her back lightly, slowly removing her boots as she thrashed in her sleep, "Kaoru! Hikaru!" She cried quietly in her sleep, her breaths coming in gasps,

"Mai! It's me, I'm here…" Kaoru soothed as he climbed on top of her and whispered in her ear, stroking her hair gently. He slowly lowered his body onto hers, holding her comfortingly and hushing her with gentle words. His amber eyes shifted to the door as it opened and Hikaru walked in with a four pint carton of milk and a loaf of brown bread, along with a large plastic basin,

"How is she?" The older twin asked as he approached the bed and sat on the edge, Kaoru slowly lifting himself away from Mai's warm body, her hand reaching out as he left. Kaoru grabbed the hand and held it, seeing her calm at the contact,

"Having a bad dream, but otherwise I think she's okay." he replied worriedly, not taking his eyes off her for a moment, her grip on his hand tightening and loosening periodically, _come on Mai-chan, wake up and tell me you're okay!_ he begged inwardly, looking up as he felt something cold tap his arm,

"She'll be okay Kaoru." Hikaru said confidently as he handed Kaoru the milk. He watched his twin raise the bottle to his lips and drank, his Adams apple rising and falling delicately, his amber eyes closed as he savoured the thick white liquid, _Hikaru always knows how to calm me down,_ Kaoru thought with a smile as his older brother took a piece of bread and held it out for him. Kaoru leaned over and took a bite, Hikaru reaching up with a smile to brush the crumbs from his brothers lips. "Why don't you get some sleep? I'll stay up for the first watch." Hikaru decided as he sat up against the head board on Kaoru's side of the bed, smiling as his brother crawled between his legs, laying down to sleep with his head resting on one of Hikaru's thighs.

"You'll wake me up if something happens right?" Kaoru asked sleepily, Hikaru looking down at his brother's peaceful form, his eyes closed, one arm tucked to his chest while the other hugged his twin's knee. The older twin smiled, running his fingers through Kaoru's hair gently, soothing him into a deep sleep,

"Sure..." he said quietly, feeling his brother hum into his leg to say he'd heard. Hikaru smiled down at his brother before leaning back on the headboard and looking up at the ceiling, taking a swig of milk before his amber eyes rested on Mai, her hand still in Kaoru's gentle grip in the arm resting over Hikaru's leg. _The last time I saw you like this was when I had pneumonia…_Hikaru thought as he glanced at his brother, _you stayed up all night…you wouldn't even leave when Father came up to put you to bed…_he added with a reminiscent grin, his eyes beginning to sting slightly as he tried to keep them open.

* * *

_Where…am I?_ Mai wondered as she opened her eyes, the blurriness clearing slowly as she blinked, bringing her face to face with a sleeping Kaoru, who was lounging on Hikaru. Hikaru had obviously fallen asleep sitting up, his head lolling on his chest uncomfortably, _how did I get here?_ Mai wondered as she took in a breath, her stomach lurching as she thought about moving.

"Mai! Are you aright?" Kaoru asked groggily as he opened his eyes, woken up by the feeling of Mai pulling her hand out of his to slap it over her mouth. He quickly lost any sense of tiredness as he saw her curling up with her eyes closed, her hands firmly over her mouth as she took in deep breaths through her nose, "You feel sick? Alright…hold on." He said as he got to his knees and leaned over the bed, his movements waking Hikaru, who tried to move, but couldn't, groaning painfully as he finally lifted his head. As he recovered Kaoru lifted the large basin and rested it on his knees close to Mai's curled up figure.

"Oh God! My neck!" Hikaru groaned with a hiss as he sat up straight, deciding to get to his feet and stretch. Kaoru turned to his brother with a smile, _idiot! You're only sore like that because you let me fall asleep on you…you were never going to wake me up to trade places…_Kaoru thought fondly, reflecting that his brother had always done things like this for him.

"Mai, come on…you'll feel better if you get up." Kaoru encouraged as he turned his attention back to the girl, who opened her eyes to look up at him tearfully, forcing herself up and hanging her head over the basin, her breaths coming in loud gasps. Kaoru could tell she was going to be sick, he'd watched his brother enough times and felt it himself to know. Mai's eyes were streaming, her breaths were catching and then she started to choke and gag, Kaoru quickly pulling her hair back as Hikaru crawled onto the bed and massaged her back as she threw up, blushing and looking at her lap as she finished, tears of embarrassment falling down her cheeks,

"What's wrong?" Hikaru asked gently as Kaoru grabbed a tissue from the box on his bedside table, handing it to Mai and watching with a look of understanding as she slowly wiped the sick away, blowing her nose gently,

"It's okay…you don't have to feel ashamed…we all do it sometimes." Kaoru said comfortingly as he stroked her damp cheek. Hikaru gave her a smile and put his arm around her shoulders, not wanting to make her sick again. "Are you done?" Kaoru asked as he got off the bed, intending to clean up the basin.

"Yes…sorry for the trouble." Mai apologised quietly as Hikaru nuzzled the side of her head,

"Don't apologise Mai…it's our fault. We shouldn't have left you last night, or bought you so many drinks." Kaoru replied as he left the room, keeping his back to her as he went, not wanting to give away his thoughts, _it's best she doesn't know about what happened with that guy…_

"You want to clean up?" Hikaru asked, looking at Mai warmly, a deep blush spreading across her cheeks, "It's okay, I'll find something else for you to wear while you're in the bathroom." he added as he hopped off the bed, Mai slowly following him into the on suite, where she watched his perfect back arch as he reached up into a cupboard to grab some towels.

"Hikaru?" Kaoru's voice called from the other room, the older twin hurrying to the door,

"Take all the time you need, and if you want anything we'll be in the bedroom." He called over his shoulder with a warm smile, Mai's cheeks still red as he left the room and closed the door. Out of habit Mai pushed the bolt across before peeling off her clothes, _how embarrassing! I can't believe I threw up in front of them! And I got it on this shirt!_ she thought with a sigh as she climbed into the large bath tub, turning on the shower above, _wow! I didn't use the shower last time I was here, but this is great!_ she thought as the water pounded over her skin, soothing the aches from whatever she had done the night before.

She picked up the soap and gently rubbed a lather over her body, wincing as she noticed the small bruises up her arms, _what is this?_ she wondered as she looked at the black marks, _finger prints?_ she guessed, moving down her body slowly, finding a few more small bruises on her hips,

"Ah!" She hissed, her heart stopped as she touched the sensitive skin between her legs, _don't tell me…_she thought in horror, not knowing what else could cause a pain like that, _I didn't…did I?_ she wondered as she looked at the door, _no, I can't have! I was wearing my clothes when I woke up…but if that's the case then…how?_ she wondered, finding that she couldn't remember anything, not since the show began. She remembered having some drinks, dancing with the twins, chatting to Torro and waving at Monk-san a few times, but that had been fairly early. She puzzled over it, going over everything she remembered, everyone she had spoken to, finishing off her shower on auto drive.

"Was the shower okay?" Hikaru asked, lounging on the bed still wearing his clothes from the club, though his shirt was undone.

"Here, you can wear these." Kaoru added as he handed her a T-shirt and pair of boxers, Mai blushing as she looked at his bare torso, his shirt discarded into the clothes basket for the maids.

"Thanks…Last night…did we…" She trailed off awkwardly, her eyes pinned to the carpeted floor at her feet as she clutched the clothes to her chest, the towel wrapped around her firmly, _God! I can't say it!_

"What is it Mai?" Kaoru asked as he stepped forward and took her arms, massaging the skin gently, his eyes falling on the bruises, _damnit! I didn't want her to find out, not like this at least!_ he thought as her hazel eyes looked up at him warily,

"Last night…we didn't…" She trailed off again, her eyes dropping to the floor once again, Kaoru's eyes widening as he realised what she was trying to ask,

"You don't think we?" Kaoru trailed off, Hikaru hurrying over as Kaoru removed his hands from Mai's shoulders and looked at her in a mixture of shock and dismay as he lowered his hands, his amber eyes somewhat hurt,

"I was hoping…I don't remember anything…not since…I don't know, but…I hurt…" She trailed off, a blush spreading across her cheeks as she looked at her feet, Kaoru looking sideways at Hikaru, who was giving him the same look, _we have to tell her…_

"Mai…we didn't touch you, but…here, sit down." Kaoru began, easing her towards the edge of the bed and sitting her down, her eyes shifting back and forth between the two worriedly,

"It's our fault…we shouldn't have left you alone like that." Hikaru said apologetically,

"And we definitely shouldn't have given you so much to drink…" Kaoru added as he sat beside her and looked at the floor, Hikaru nodding as he took the other side.

"We didn't see everything…you left us on the dance floor, said you were going to take a break…I should have seen it!" Kaoru cursed,

"You were drugged somewhere along the line…Torro found us and told us you weren't looking so good. He went to get water while we went to look for you." Hikaru continued, Mai's heart pounding faster and faster as she listened,

"I saw you first…some guy had you up against the wall, but he didn't…he just touched, that's all he did, I swear…I got him off as soon as I got over, but I'm sorry…I should have been there to take care of you." Kaoru apologised as he turned to Mai with a guilty expression, his eyes swimming with remorse,

"So should I, I'm the oldest." Hikaru replied, trying to take some of the blame to stop his brother looking like that, _it's not his fault! I started buying the drinks! I should have known better!_ Hikaru snapped inwardly,

"So he didn't?" Mai checked hopefully as she looked between the twins, both of them shaking their heads, feeling a little better as a smile broke out across Mai's face, "Thank goodness…" Mai cried, leaning on Hikaru and crying into his shirt, his eyes widening in surprise,

"Aren't you…angry?" He asked as he stroked her hair gently, Kaoru getting up to grab another tissue for Mai, gently dabbing her eyes with it as he returned.

"No…how could I be? It wasn't your fault…I should have known better too." She replied, the twins too stunned to argue as she settled against Hikaru, _she really is amazing…_Hikaru thought as his brother left to use the shower, both of them quietly giving up on going to school that day. "Stop thinking about it." Mai said quietly as she sat up intending to change, Hikaru quickly turning his back.

"I'm sorry…I never meant for this to happen…" He replied quietly, keeping his eyes fixed on the window opposite, the white net shifting lightly in the breeze, _the maids must have opened the window again…_he thought as he listened to Mai shifting behind,

"I know…I know you and Kaoru wouldn't want any of this…I'm alright, I don't remember a thing." She added cheerfully as she crawled onto the bed and put a hand on his shoulder, Hikaru giving a sigh before grabbing her wrist and pulling her round, pinning her to the bed, her hazel eyes wide in surprise.

"Don't say that! Don't pretend everything's fine! You could have been…" he shouted, Mai frozen in place as he lowered his head, something splashing her cheek, _is he?_ she wondered as she slowly reached up to stroke his cheek, feeling his tears soak her hand,

"Hikaru…" She sighed as his head rested on her chest, his grip on her wrist loosening, allowing her to wrap her arms around him, his shoulders shaking slightly, his tears soaking into the white T-shirt she was wearing.

"Hikaru, shower's free." Kaoru's voice interrupted as he entered, not looking over at the bed as he headed to the dressing room to change. Hikaru quickly rolled off Mai and wiped his eyes,_ I can't let him see me like this…_he thought as he hurried into the bathroom, Mai looking after him worriedly. "Don't worry…he'll be fine." Kaoru said as he entered wearing clothes similar to Mai, fully intending to go back to sleep after Mai had eaten something.

"I know…but it's my fault." She replied as Kaoru handed her the plastic milk carton, her hand absently unscrewing the cap as Kaoru took out a couple of slices of bread for her,

"It isn't…you didn't deserve this." he added as he watched her nibble the bread, her sickness seeming to have gone. "We should get some more sleep…that hangover should go away then too." The red head added as he went to pull the heavy curtains across, cutting out the light as Mai finished her bread, putting the milk aside. "Oh, hold on a sec." Kaoru said as Mai went to lie down, the teen hurrying over with two dry towels, which he used to cover the pillows of the bed, _this seems…familiar…_she thought, "Mother used to do this when we went to bed after a bath…the pillows don't get wet this way." He added as stretched, his back arching delicately.

"I'm tired." Hikaru sighed as he opened the bathroom door and stepped out, running a hand through his damp hair, drips falling onto his bare shoulders as he walked through to the dressing room, Kaoru smiling as he watched before climbing into the bed beside Mai, who crawled under the covers beside him, breathing the scent of the sheets with a sigh.

"You're so cute Mai-chan." Kaoru murmured as he turned on his side to face her, Mai's cheeks reddening as she looked up at him as he leaned his head on his hand, his body propped up on the pillow as he looked down at her with a warm smile. "If you need me, for anything at all, don't hesitate to wake me up." He added with a more serious look as he leaned forward and left a small kiss on her forehead, _he's so…warm_ she thought as she closed her eyes, quietly enjoying the comforting feel of his lips on her skin.

"Kaoru, mother called. She'll be back in a few days." Hikaru said as he walked out of the dressing room and hurried over to the bed, tossing his mobile onto his bedside table before crawling under the covers, curling his arm over Mai's waist and leaving a warm kiss on her clothed shoulder, settling comfortably against her back.

"That's good I guess…night." Kaoru replied as he settled beside Mai, lying on his side facing her, his hand searching for hers beneath the covers, his head leaning forward to rest on hers. Mai smiled and closed her eyes, feeling safe and comfortable as she lay between the twins.


	16. Chapter 15

DISCLAIMER - see chapter one

* * *

Over the next few days things seemed to settle. Mai returned to school with the twins the next day, only the staff knowing why they had been absent, and any of the students who asked were quickly distracted. A few days after the gig Monk-san returned to the Shibuya district, fully intending to go and check up on how SPR was doing, which left Mai alone with her new friends once again.

* * *

"Mai, do you want to come out for dinner tonight?" Kaoru called from the sofa in her living room. Mai was in her room changing out of her school uniform, while Hikaru was in the kitchen grabbing some drinks. It had become a sort of custom for the twins to come over to Mai's flat, and Mai would occasionally go over to the mansion.

"I guess we could, and remind me to go shopping tomorrow, I'm low on milk." She replied as she hurried into the living room wearing her khaki skirt and shirt, Hikaru coming up behind her and pressing the cold can of coke to her back. The teen let out a high pitched squeak, Kaoru laughing as Mai turned to wrestle with Hikaru, who held the cans up out of her reach with a superior look.

"Who's that?" Kaoru wondered aloud as the doorbell rang, getting to his feet to answer it as Mai and Hikaru watched curiously, her hands still resting on his arms where she had been trying to get at the cans. Kaoru opened the door, coming face to face with a beautiful young woman with black hair to just below her ears, shocking bright blue eyes and a traditional kimono, the sleeve coming up to cover her face shyly.

"Is this Taniyama Mai's residence?" She asked nervously as she looked up at the handsome young redhead, looking inside as she heard a cry of recognition, just in time to find herself pulled into a tight hug,

"Masako! You're back! How was your trip? Come in!" Mai cried as she pulled the young psychic into her flat with a bright smile, Masako slowly letting her sleeve drop to reveal her own modest smile. Mai led the petite girl to her sofa and sat her down, hurrying towards the kitchen,

"Wait! Mai, go back and sit down, I'll grab another can from the fridge, here." Hikaru said as he cut her off, handing Mai his unopened can of coke before heading into the kitchen, Kaoru giving her a smile and following his brother, both feeling the need to give the girls a little privacy.

"Thanks Hikaru." Mai called after him as she hurried over to Masako and sat beside her, handing her the can. The petite girl looked down at it, carefully clicking it open and sipping at it as if it was the first time she had opened one. "So, tell me!" Mai encouraged excitedly,

"Oh, it was very nice, I've never been somewhere so…big!" Masako began, telling Mai about every state she had been to, the hotels, the sights, the people, her television interviews and then she came to her phone call with Naru. "I was so surprised when he invited me to dinner, but now I just don't know what to do! I mean…I want to find something new to wear…something…western." Masako added with a blush as she looked up at Mai, "I was hoping you could help." She added,

"Wow, you in western clothes…" Mai trailed off, unsure of how she was feeling. She knew what she should feel, she should be jealous and sulky as she had always been before when Masako went out with Naru, but this time she felt different. It was almost as if they were talking about someone else, someone Mai didn't know, _wow, Naru asked Masako out on a date…that's…good._ Mai thought uneasily,

"Mai…I know that…well, you and Naru…" She trailed off guiltily. Mai forced a smiled as she puzzled over her emotions, or lack thereof. Masako fiddled with her sleeve of her kimono awkwardly as she looked at Mai's unreadable expression,

"Don't worry about it! Besides, any affection there was totally one sided!" Mai assured cheerfully as she got to her feet, "So, western clothes…well, I was going to go out for dinner with my friends tonight, so why don't you come with us and we can do a little shopping along the way?" She suggested, tugging Masako along behind her as she headed for the kitchen,

"Wait! I wouldn't want to interrupt!" Masako objected as she was pulled into the kitchen, teetering on her geta. As they entered the twins looked up, Kaoru sitting on the sideboard facing his brother, who was leaning on the large fridge, the can held loosely in his hand. Mai gave them both a smile as she pulled Masako inside,

"Masako, these are my friends, Kaoru and Hikaru Hitachiin. Kaoru, Hikaru, Masako will be coming out with us, and we're going shopping. She wants some western clothes, think you can help us out?" Mai asked with a smile, the twins looking at Mai and Masako with mischievous looks, Kaoru hopping down from the counter to look down at Mai with a seductive grin,

"We'll help, if you try on some clothes too." He purred, Hikaru nodding his agreement as he walked over to Masako and looked down at her thoughtfully, a slight frown on his face as a blush spread across the girl's face,

"Smart…definitely smart…" he thought aloud, Kaoru looking over and nodding in agreement. Masako looked over at Mai worriedly, feeling a little more at ease as Mai smiled brightly,

"Don't worry, if there's anyone who knows clothes it's these two." Mai assured, Masako suddenly having a flash of recognition as she looked at the two boys again. _Of course! The Hitachiins! How did I not realise before!_ Masako thought as she covered her face with her sleeve,

"Of course, I know your mother." She said, the twins already recognising their mother's handy work on the kimono she was wearing. It wasn't anything in particular that gave it away, just the stitching and general pattern, something about it screamed Hitachiin at them, though they supposed it was due to the fact that they had grown up with their mother's work.


	17. Chapter 16

DISCLAIMER - see chapter one

Okay, for those of you who asked 'HINT!' you'll understand when you find it, but if you stop reading because things didn't go the way you wanted i'm telling you - you'll miss out!! This fic is nowhere near complete so I'll leave you all waiting until next time, oh, and sorry about the sudden time jumps, but this plot must advance! ;-)

* * *

"I can't believe we bought so much!" Mai laughed as they entered a large restaurant, Mai insisting on something a little more low-key than what the twins were used to. She was still uncomfortable in the grander places the twins preferred. The twins grinned as they sat down, both sighing in contentment, glad to be off their feet after all the walking they had done.

"Yes, thank you for your help." Masako said, feeling somewhat uncomfortable as she sat at the table wearing a short black skirt and white shirt with sleeves to her elbows and a pair of delicate black sandals, the heel quite thin, but not quite stiletto. So far she had managed to walk in them, though she almost twisted her ankle once and the soles were hurting her feet.

"It's absolutely fine Masako! You're going to knock Naru dead when he sees you!" Mai assured with a genuine smile, barely even realising what she was saying as the waiter approached and handed them all menus, Masako watching Mai as she opened the red leather book to scan the page,

"You really have changed Mai." She said quietly, the girl opposite her looking up with a puzzled frown, "I never thought you would ever…accept my feelings for Naru…" the psychic trailed off as she opened her own menu, noticing how quiet the twins were during this exchange.

"I guess you're right…but then…I'm not going to have Naru…I think…I think I've always known that, I'm just not…good enough for him…but you, you're famous, focused, gifted, you're everything Naru would want in a girl, so if you can make him happy, then I guess I have no problem with it." Mai replied, her voice sounding sincere, and only a little disappointed, though all present guessed she was hiding most of her emotions behind a smile as usual.

"Mai, I don't ever want to hear those words from your mouth again." Hikaru purred as he leaned over and whispered in her ear quietly, Mai shifting her gaze to him as he smiled at her warmly, "You're not the one who wasn't good enough…you deserve much better than him." He added firmly, Mai's cheeks heating up as she quickly looked down at her menu, the strange heat between her legs returning.

"Are you ready to order?" A voice asked politely, interrupting Mai's thoughts. The twins grinned as they watched her blush and quickly scan the page, both knowing she had been too lost in thought to really take in anything on the page in front of her.

"I think I'll have the beef teriyaki, and a coke." Kaoru ordered as he snapped the book shut, Hikaru ordering the same. Masako ordered some yakitori and some tea while Mai quickly panicked and decided to match the twins.

"Good thing you're not a vegetarian." Kaoru teased, his foot tapping hers gently under the table, a mischievous grin on his face as he did it again, pulling back smugly as Mai went to kick back.

* * *

Mai entered her flat with an exhausted sigh, the twins close behind. After dinner they had gone back to Masako's hotel as a sort of thank you, where they had sat talking and drinking, non-alcoholic in Mai's case, until quite late, late being three O'clock in the morning.

"Well, here we are…I'm going to bed." Mai sighed as she walked to the bathroom to brush her teeth, knowing already that the twins were staying the night. _If I think about it I don't think I've spent a night alone since I met those two…_she thought, and although it seemed a little odd at first, she had grown used to sleeping with the two of them, _I don't know what I'd do if I had to sleep alone again_, she mused as she finished brushing her teeth.

"Mai-chaaaan" Kaoru winged as he met her in the hall, swaying slightly on his feet, though Mai wasn't surprised. He had drunk the most out of all of them, despite Hikaru's advice that he should stop. Mai giggled as he stumbled towards her, catching his shoulders gently so that he didn't knock her over, her eyes widening as she found herself against the wall with Kaoru's lips on her neck, having the urge to push him back and pull him closer at the same time.

"Kaoru!" She said quietly, her hands touching his shoulders gently, still unsure whether she should push him away. She gasped as he pressed closer, his shirt collar tickling her neck, his knee sliding between her legs and pressing against her, the heat pooling between her legs once more, tugging at her resolve. "Kaoru, please!" She whispered, unsure of what she was asking for. The teen pulled back for a moment, his amber eyes gazing into her hazel orbs, his eyes full of lust, something she hadn't seen before in anyone's eyes.

"Kaoru! Mai-chan!" Hikaru's voice called as he stepped out of the bedroom, pausing as he saw them, both facing his way, but Mai against the wall with Kaoru's knee between her legs and his hands on her waist, while hers rested gently on his shoulders. "Oh…I should probably…" Hikaru began as he headed towards them and stepped by, Mai and Kaoru watching as he slipped his shoes on,

"Wait, where are you going?" Mai asked as she hurried over to him, her hand reaching out to grab his white shirt sleeve, both the boys still wearing their school uniforms, only without the tie and blazer. The tall boy looked down at her with a somewhat forced smile and removed her hand,

"It's okay Mai, I understand…you like Kaoru…you don't have to hide it." he said to her, reaching out to open the door, his eyes widening as Mai leapt forward and grabbed his arm, hugging it against her chest, her breasts pressing against it causing him to blush,

"No! I don't! I can't!" Mai cried as Kaoru approached, a little more sober now, the adrenaline forcing the alcohol from his system at the shock of his brother's appearance. The brothers paused and looked at each other as tears slid down Mai's cheeks, "I-I can't do it! I can't pull you apart!" she cried, Hikaru putting a hand on her head gently,

"It's okay…Kaoru and I will sort it out." He said comfortingly, Mai gripping his shirt and looking up at him,

"You don't understand! I-I can't just choose like that! I want us all to stay together as we are!" she cried, Hikaru and Kaoru both a little disappointed by her response. _Does this mean that eventually we'll have to give her up?_ they wondered as she released Hikaru and wiped her eyes on the back of her hand.

"Is that…really all you want?" Kaoru asked as he turned Mai to face him, his eyes swimming with hurt as he looked down at her, Mai blushing as she looked at him, unable to look away, though in her mind she wanted nothing more,

"No…no it's not all I want!" she cried, her face burning red as she looked at the floor and closed her eyes tightly, unable to stop herself from speaking out, "I can't have one or the other! I love you both!" She cried, a heavy silence settling on the room as the twins digested what she had said. Mai opened her eyes and looked between them, both of them looking at her with identical expressions of shock, not even blinking as they stared at her, _oh God! They probably think I'm some sort of pervert!_ she thought as she waited, her mouth going dry as she looked at them. "I'm sorry! It's so selfish! That's why I can't just…" Mai apologised shamefully as she looked at the floor.

"Well Kaoru, looks like our problem has been solved." Hikaru said with a grin as he looked across at his brother, both of them already knowing the perfect answer to this problem,

"You're right Hikaru, after all, who shares better than we twins?" Kaoru replied as he stepped closer to Mai, the girl looking up wide-eyed as she felt Kaoru's hand on her cheek. He smiled at her warmly as he leaned down and captured her lips, one of his arms wrapping around her waist while the other caressed her cheek and the back of her head and tangling in her hair. Behind her she felt Hikaru's body press against her, one of his hands brushing the hair away from her neck while the other caressed her hip.

"Mai…can you accept us?" Hikaru purred in her ear, his voice sending shivers down her spine in a way that Naru's never had,

"Both of us…" Kaoru sighed as he pulled back from the kiss, looking deep into her hazy eyes, both of them pausing for her answer.

"Yes." She replied, her voice barely above a whisper, but it was all that the twins needed before they retuned their attentions to her. Kaoru crushed his lips to hers, his movements soft and loving but hungry at the same time. The hand in her hair massaged her scalp while the other slid up her back beneath her khaki shirt, caressing the soft skin there while Hikaru tugged the collar of her shirt aside to press kisses to her neck. One of his hands slid beneath her shirt to caress her stomach while the other slid down to massage her silken thigh. Mai didn't know what she was doing while in their grasp, she couldn't help her body movements as she squirmed against them. Her head leaned back on Hikaru's shoulder as her arms pulled Kaoru closer, Hikaru's thigh supporting her rump while her groin rested on Kaoru's knee, which rose and fell periodically. Mai couldn't stop herself from gasping and moaning into Kaoru's kisses, feeling him smile against her lips as he pulled back.

"You're so cute when you're moaning." He purred, pressing a soft kiss to her lips before pulling back, Hikaru following his lead and releasing Mai from behind. Mai stood unsteadily as she came back to herself, blushing as she realised what they had done, feeling a swell of guilt in her stomach as she thought of Naru.

"It's late…we should go to bed." Hikaru sighed as he stretched, Mai turning and watching his back arch while he groaned in satisfaction. "Like what you see?" He teased as he looked at Mai over his shoulder, Mai blushing as he smiled and took one of her hands, Kaoru taking the other as Hikaru hit the lights, letting Kaoru lead the way to the bedroom. As they entered the room Mai hesitated, the boys releasing her hands as they headed to the bed, pulling their trousers and shirts off and putting them aside for the morning,

"Mai, come on." Kaoru said as he look at her over his shoulder, pulling back the covers and watching Hikaru crawl inside. Kaoru smiled as Mai hesitated, holding his hand out to her assuringly, "Don't worry, it's late…we'll just sleep." He added firmly, Mai taking his hand and allowing him to pull her to the bed, where he handed her the night dress she had left on the pillow, turning his back as she changed, looking at Hikaru to see that he was already asleep. The younger twin smiled as Mai crawled into view wearing a knee length pink night dress, his hand clicking the bedside lamp off as he slid in next to her.

"Good night Kaoru." Mai sighed as she shifted closer to him, leaning her head on his bare chest, his scent even stronger without his shirt on, though he was slightly stickier to the touch and there was a slight hint of sweat in the air, but she liked it. She liked the feel of his skin, his chest so smooth she wondered if he waxed it.

"Night Mai." He replied, smiling as he wrapped his arm around her, leaning his head on hers, breathing in the light scent of her hair, relishing in the feel of her small body pressed against his, but something was missing. With a groan Hikaru rolled over, his arm wrapping around Mai's waist, his weight against her back pressing her further into his brother's chest, Kaoru's smile widening as he closed his eyes, _much better…_he thought as he allowed himself to drift into sleep.


	18. Chapter 17

DISCLAIMER - see chapter one

Hello again! Another fanfic I have neglected! I am going to try to split some time between a few of my fics and see if I can get some progress made, so the updates may no be frequent, but there will be some! Enjoy this latest chapter ;-)

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"Come on Mai!" Kaoru exclaimed as he dragged her towards the club by one hand, his brother tugging her along by the other, leaving her slightly off balance. If she fell forward she'd be dragged all the way there. She didn't know why they were so excited, it was just club activities as usual as far as she knew, _but then they don't always tell me beforehand…_

Upon entering the club room Mai found herself in what could only be described as a film set, but not one that was set up for a single film; there were sections for ancient Greece, Egypt, a rainforest, Victorian England and Meiji Era Japan. Looking around she was unsurprised to find Tamaki dressed in Egyptian attire scrutinising a miniature Sphinx while Kyouya was checking things off on his clipboard wearing deep green hakama and a faded brown haori..

"Kyouya! Nice work." Hikaru praised as he looked at the wild flowers of the rainforest, Mai following his gaze approvingly. The flowers were beautiful, in fact the whole scene was beautiful in a slightly disorientating way.

"One tries ones' best." Kyouya replied with a subtle smugness that Mai didn't miss, though the twins were either ignoring it or oblivious to it. "And on that note your costumes are ready." The older boy replied as he continued his work, leaving Mai and the twins to do as they pleased; there was time before club started to wander a little first.

"Kyouya!" A new voice called from the doorway, a voice Mai was surprised to find came from a girl, a rather attractive girl with honey coloured hair wearing a denim skirt and white sleeveless shirt. It seemed that Mai wasn't the only one surprised to see her as Tamaki and the twins paused to stare as she entered the room, though Kyouya seemed unsurprised by her appearance,

"Renge! What's with the entrance?" Kaoru asked as he stepped forward, the girl giving him a quizzical look as Hikaru nodded in agreement and leaned on his brother's shoulder,

"Yeah, what gives? Usually you come up through the floor." He added, his voice sounding slightly disappointed. Looking back and forth Mai couldn't help but be curious about the newcomer; she had never heard of a girl being in the Host Club before, _I guess she's an old school friend?_

"I graduate this year, so the school took all my platforms out; they need to get the school back in order with exams coming up." She replied simply, _platforms? _Mai wondered as the bubbly girl hurried through to Kyouya, whom she fell into deep conversation with. Mai had never seen Kyouya talk to someone so much.

"Who is she?" Mai asked as she sidled up to the now disinterested twins,

"Renge Houshakuji, a half-French transfer student. She transferred last year because she fell in love with Kyouya…sort of." Kaoru explained, his brother sharing a grin with him,

"She's a complete otaku; obsessed with anime, manga, cosplay and dating games, you name it she's probably got it. Kyouya looks a lot like a character from one of the dating games she was playing, and when she first moved here she'd already decided that Kyouya was the man she was going to marry." Hikaru continued, Mai biting back a laugh as she looked at the dark haired secretary, whom she had never seen truly enjoying himself.

"I bet she was disappointed." She said,

"Too true," Kaoru agreed,

"But he did go along with it for a while…His father does business with her father, and he didn't want to upset her, so he let her hang around for a while. He put her straight eventually, but she's remained the club's self-appointed manager." Hikaru explained, his brother humming his agreement,

"Though she's not bad; most of the activities we do these days are her idea." Kaoru added, Mai nodding as she looked at the girl again. _If I didn't know any better I'd say she's quite close to Kyouya…_She thought as she watched the pair interact. It must have been about club activities; Kyouya was completely enthralled, his pen not even moving on his clipboard. She could even see the beginnings of a smile tugging his lips as the girl before him enthusiastically reeled off her news.

"I'd say they make a good match." Tamaki said, his appearance making Mai jump, though the blonde didn't notice as he watched his ex-classmate interact with the boisterous French girl.

"You're just worried he'll take Haruhi from you." Hikaru teased as he popped up on Tamaki's right,

"Yeah, you want her all to yourself." Kaoru added as he stepped to the left of Tamaki, who merely hummed and slipped his hands in his pockets,

"Nice try you two, but that won't work anymore. I know my Haruhi loves just me." Tamaki retorted, smiling at the twins' disappointment as he approached Mai, "You should change my dear; the club will be opening soon." He said as he gave her a warm smile and swept his arm towards the changing room, where Mai could see a Victorian style dress laid out for her.

"Alright, thank you." Mai replied as she hurried to the changing room, looking over her shoulder as she heard footsteps following her, "You're coming in to change too?" Mai asked as she stepped into the small room,

"Do you mind? You'll need help changing too." Kaoru reasoned as he and his brother followed her and pulled the curtain across, their own costumes awaiting them; what there was of their costumes. It seemed the boys were in the rainforest section, wearing long grass skirts and necklaces of flowers. Looking across to the other three chairs she could see that there were two Greek costumes, one large and one rather small, as well as a Victorian suit, which she guessed would be Haruhi's.

"Kaoru, whose are those costumes?" Mai asked as she began unbuttoning her shirt, her blue jacket already on the back of the chair. Following her gaze Kaoru smiled in delight,

"Hey Hikaru! Looks like Mori and Honey will be returning for this one." He said, his brother giving a small whoop as he looked at the costumes, "Mori and Honey were third years, so they left a couple years back, but they come back from time to time." Kaoru explained briefly for Mai's sake as he shamelessly pulled off his shirt, revealing his shapely torso, which suggested that he occasionally worked out. Hikaru was in a similar state of dress, and as Mai examined them both she noticed Hikaru was actually slightly more toned. Anyone else wouldn't notice; they'd be too busy comparing faces, but Hikaru's arms were slightly more toned.

"Enjoying the view?" Hikaru purred, as he caught Mai looking, enjoying her blush as she turned away, feigning indignance and folding her arms across her chest. "It doesn't seem fair that we're the only ones getting undressed you know." The mischievous twin added impishly as he rested his head on her shoulder and nuzzled her neck lightly,

"Hikaru! We're in the club room." Kaoru said tiredly as he pulled his trousers off, the slightly older twin sighing and pulling back. Looking across at Kaoru Mai could see his cheeks flushed slightly, his eyes shifting to her almost possessively.

"Hikaru never said you couldn't join in Kaoru." Mai said as she took a few steps towards him, the younger twin flushing slightly as he was caught out. Resting a hand on his shoulder Mai eased herself up to his ear, "I thought you were good at sharing…" She purred, nipping his earlobe as she pulled back, the older twin grinning at his brother's small grunt. Raising her hands to the button of her shirt Mai began getting undressed, jerking in surprised as a pair of arms looped around her shoulders to fondle hers,

"Let me get that for you." Kaoru purred, his fingers deftly moving between her hands to unbutton the white shirt, his hands running lightly down her skin as he pulled it down her shoulders. Leaning back against Kaoru Mai humming lightly as his lips brushed her bare shoulder, his hands rubbing circles on her stomach. Looking down Mai saw Hikaru kneeling at her feet, his fingers making short work of the fastening of her skirt, the light material fluttering to the floor, his lips leaving a small trail of kisses up her thigh before he stood to leave one on her forehead. "This needs to come off too." Kaoru added as he flipped the hooks of her bra with one hand,

"Corset." Hikaru stated as he stood before her with a light cream corset made of a soft silky looking material. Blushing slightly Mai held her arms up and allowed Hikaru to pull the corset down over her bare torso, his hands deftly moulding it to her figure, tugging here and there to make it even. "Okay Kaoru." He added, Mai gasping as Kaoru tugged the chords tightly, her chest heaving as her ribs were trapped within the ever tightening material.

"How tight do you want this?" Kaoru asked, pulling her towards the mirror so that she could see herself, her cheeks flushing slightly as her breasts were forced up, her stomach flattened and her hips pronounced within the tight confines of the corset. Taking a breath, Mai processed the strange compressed feeling,

"Any tighter and I won't be able to breathe!" She exclaimed as she raised a hand to her breasts to cover them a little, the redhead smiling over her shoulder as he fastened the ties tightly,

"You know, in England they'd say 'if you're still talking then it isn't tight enough.'" He added, stepping back as Hikaru approached with the petticoat, which was a long white undergarment that covered the corset, but had a low breast line to leave her cleavage visible. There was a tie on the back for this, but as Hikaru tied it she couldn't even feel it.

"Final part." Hikaru said as Kaoru approached with the dress, both of them lifting the heavy looking cream garment over her head, the heavy cotton and silk moulding to her lithe figure beneath, _but my breasts are still bare…_She noted with a resigned sigh. Looking in the mirror she watched as Hikaru fastened the back of her dress, and Kaoru tugged the skirts into place, the many layers giving her hips a boost.

"There are some shoes too." Kaoru added as he nodded to a box on her chair, where there were a pair of cream slip on high heels with ornamental bows on the top. There were also some cream over the knee hold-ups, the smooth material sliding up her legs like silk before resting there. _It's a shame no one will really see the shoes…_She thought as she lifted the skirt and looked at her shoes in the mirror, tilting her ankles to get a better look.

"Aloha." Hikaru laughed as he leaned on Mai's shoulder and looked at himself in the mirror, the grass skirt long enough to hide his tight black short pants. Pulling the garland over his head he fingered the colourful flowers, shifting his gaze to his brother as Kaoru tugged the garland around his own neck.

"Hey! Are you guys done yet?" Haruhi's voice called as she knocked on the door loudly, Hikaru leaving Mai's side to open the door, a brunette head peering in suspiciously. "They haven't been harassing you have they Mai?" She checked, giving the twins a stern look as they put on their most innocent expressions,

"No more than usual." Mai replied with a laugh, patting down her skirts one more time before turning away from the mirror, "They helped me change." She added, though that was obvious. _There's no way I could have laced this thing by myself…_

"Hey! Honey's here!" Kaoru exclaimed as he looked out the door to see a small blonde boy sitting in a small chair with a plate of cake. Lifting her long skirts Mai hurried to Kaoru's side to get a look for herself, the boy's honey coloured eyes falling on her as she stared at him.

"You say he was a third year?" She asked incredulously, his green shorts and bunny T-shirt suggesting he was more of an elementary student than an adult, and the childish way he kicked his heels and forked cake into his mouth didn't help.

"Yeah, he gets that a lot." Hikaru added as he walked past his brother into the music room, where a taller man was standing by the door. "Mori!" Hikaru called as he hurried over to the ebony haired man, whose dark eyes shifted to him with a warm look, though the expression on his face didn't change at all. _What a scary guy…_

"Don't be shy! Come and meet them!" Kaoru encouraged as he grabbed a white lace parasol and handed it to her. Mai hooked the curved handle over her arm before stepping into the room, her clicking heels drawing attention to her even on the carpet. Flushing, Mai wished she had a shawl of some sort to cover her chest, her blush deepening as the small boy jumped from his chair and hurried over hugging an old white bunny to his chest,

"You must be the hostess!" He said excitedly as he ran circles around her, _I'm supposed to believe that this is a High School graduate? Seriously?_ She wondered as he hopped around her, making her slightly dizzy.

"She is; her name's Mai." Kaoru confirmed, the small boy pausing to examine her more closely before he held out his toy.

"You can look after Bun-Bun." He stated, Mai taking the small toy wordlessly, watching the blonde run off to the stoic man by the door, who was in deep conversation with Hikaru and Tamaki, or rather he was listening to them intently. Hearing a giggle Mai looked at Kaoru, who laid a gentle hand on her shoulder as he looked at the toy in her arms,

"That means he likes you." Kaoru translated, Mai smiling warmly as she cradled the bunny to her chest, her hazel eyes widening slightly as Kaoru leaned his head down to her ear, "Bun-Bun is in a very enviable position right now." He purred, Mai flushing as she looked down, finding the bunny's head resting on her breasts, looking up at her with vacant eyes. Shifting the toy to her right arm Mai shot a glare at Kaoru, the younger twin hurrying away with an impish grin.

"Mai! Come over here!" Hikaru called, the honey haired girl seeing no way out of it as she walked over, impressed that she could actually walk in the heels she was wearing. Her blush deepened as the tall man's eyes swept over her, wishing more than ever she could cover her chest. She didn't have particularly large breasts, but the corset certainly made the most of what she had. "This is Mori." He introduced, Mai giving a hesitant smile to the tall man, who gave her a simply 'hi' in return.

"Did you tell them yet?" Honey asked the tall man as he climbed up his leg, somehow able to get onto his shoulders without any aid at all. Mai hadn't really noticed at first, but where Honey was dressed casually Mori was wearing a black suit and white shirt with a black tie hanging open around his neck. Shaking his head Mori shifted his head slightly so that he was looking up at Honey,

"What?" Hikaru asked curiously, though Mori seemed reluctant to talk,

"Mori's parents want him to get married! He's betrothed and doesn't know who she is! All he has is this picture and name." Honey added as he leaned down and plucked a small photograph from the shirt pocket, Mori not moving an inch as the small boy wriggled on his shoulders and held his ebony locks for support. Mai could only guess that Honey was really being extremely gentle, _or this guy's pain threshold is insane…_

"Oh hey! I know this girl!" Hikaru exclaimed as he looked at the photograph, turning it over to see the name on the back, "Shizuka Ito; yeah! That's her! She's in our year." He added as he handed the photo across to Kaoru, Tamaki trying to get a peek as it moved across, but failing. Moving around to peer over Kaoru's shoulder he hummed lightly, his eyes shifting to Mai as she looked over Kaoru's arm.

"Yeah, she's that stage fright case." He confirmed as he handed the picture up to Tamaki, whose amber eyes looked at her pityingly,

"Stage fright case?" Mai prompted,

"Yeah, it's quite sad really…She's so shy that she can't perform in front of anyone, but she has a beautiful voice. She uses a room on the second floor to practice her operatic singing, but whenever she knows someone's watching she just closes up; she can't even sing for her parents." Hikaru explained, Kaoru nodding his agreement,

"She really wants to be an opera singer; you can tell that just from hearing her, but as long as she can't sing in front of people her parents don't believe she can sing. They don't want her to be a singer; they have a large company, which they want to merge with Mori's family, and the best way is through marriage. They want Shizuka to take over their company and marry Mori so that she still has a say in the running of the business, but Shizuka isn't cut out for the business world, so at the moment her younger sister, Shinku, is learning about the family business." Kaoru concluded, the twins groaning as they looked over at Tamaki, who was getting a determined look that told them he was going to interfere somehow.

"This is terrible! We must help somehow!" He declared, the twins groaning again before laying their hands on his shoulders,

"It's hopeless! She's had experts try to help her, but it just hasn't worked." Kaoru said, the blonde going to his corner to sulk. Mai followed him with her eyes, knowing the feeling of wanting to help and not being able to, _but this girl isn't a ghost! Maybe I could really help here somehow…_

"I think we should at least try…" Mai said, looking at the twins, who gave her a look that said 'dear God! Not you too!', but Mai merely fixed them with an even stare. "She's supposed to be marrying your friend! Shouldn't you be more supportive?" Mai asked, feeling a little harsh for the way she had said it.

"But Mori doesn't know her." Honey said, apparently feeling more sorry for Mori than the poor girl he was marrying.

"But that means she doesn't know him either; so the first step would surely be an introduction." Mai suggested, the small boy nodding almost reluctantly as he clung to the older man. Mori she couldn't read at all, though she had the feeling that he knew a little more than Honey was letting on.

"Wasn't this girl a guest here?" Kyouya said, the light glinting off his glasses as he looked at a laptop, Mai going to look over his shoulder as he worked, Renge nodding her agreement as she looked at the photograph. "Just as I thought; this girl was a regular Mori/Honey guest until they left two years ago; she bought a lot of produce." He added, Mai looking down a list of objects. For two years, up until two years ago, there had been a steady purchase of anything Mori; calendars, framed photographs, old costumes, old props he had handled, basically anything and everything.

"She even confessed once, but Mori turned her down." Renge piped up, the stoic man looking slightly startled by the revelation. Apparently whatever impression he had left on her, she hadn't done the same with him. "In fact after he turned her down she never came back." The French girl added casually, the stoic man looking very guilty now.

"I'm sure Mori didn't mean to hurt her feelings." Haruhi piped up as she exited the changing rooms, a grey top-hat in her hands as she made her way towards Tamaki, who nodded his firm agreement.

"It's a risk we all take as hosts; I can't even count the amount of girls I've turned down!" Kaoru said supportively, Hikaru nodding his agreement,

"We were much crueller than Mori sometimes too." Hikaru stated, Mai raising an eyebrow as she looked at the twins, who avoided her gaze with something akin to shame.

"But that was a long time ago." Tamaki added defensively as he noticed Mai's gaze and the twins' state of mind. Nodding their agreement the twins dispersed, leaving the discussion to the others. Mai returned her attention to Mori, who seemed to have closed in on himself thoughtfully, his eyes looking at the floor searchingly as he sifted through memories in search of that girl,

"There's no reason that you should remember…as Kaoru said, you guys were turning girls down all the time, right?" Mai said as she looked up at him, Mori giving her a throaty 'yeah' in response._ He certainly doesn't waste words… _"So the first thing you need to do is put this behind you and move on; meet her as if she's a new person, and see where it goes from there." She advised, Mori nodding his agreement in a somewhat shy manner.

"I couldn't agree more! But right now we have an event to set up!" Tamaki stated as he ushered Mori and Honey towards the changing rooms excitedly, clearly looking forward to playing the Egyptian prince.


	19. Chapter 18

DISCLAIMER - see chapter one

Another chapter! ;-)

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Mai was surprised by how well the afternoon was going. She walked around arm in arm with Haruhi, her white lace parasol open and resting on her outer shoulder with her hand resting on the inside of Haruhi's arm. Haruhi was wearing the top hat and using a cane with her free hand, often sweeping the hat off and bowing as they greeting new customers, Mai curtseying at her side. Since the female guests had grown accustomed to her she found herself enjoying their company. The only hostility came from the twins' guests, who grew annoyed when Kaoru and Hikaru kept hurrying into the Victorian section to share some joke or comment with her.

"Kaoru! Hikaru! Stay in your part!" Haruhi scolded lightly, the redheads heading off almost sulkily to be consoled by their sympathetic guests, Mai smiling lightly as she waved them off and returned her attention to her momentarily neglected male guests. She only had two or three regulars, but every so often another would drop by for a few minutes.

Over in the Egyptian section Tamaki was in full swing, Haruhi seeming completely unconcerned and at ease as she watched him flirting mercilessly with the large harem of women he had sat around him. Secretly, Mai could understand the feeling; she didn't keep a constant watch on the twins, _though they flirt more with each other than their guests anyway…_

Kyouya was still talking over business with Renge, who had taken to wearing a pink flowered kimono to fit with him in his section. Occasionally a girl or two would head over, at which point Renge would busy herself in another part of the traditional setting, though more than once she found herself in demand as men thought she was a hostess. With her bright nature she would have made a good host, if a little overzealous.

In the Greek section Mai couldn't help but notice that Mori was still out of sorts, though the girls didn't seem to notice as they were all preoccupied with Honey, who was in his element. He would shift from using one girl's lap as a pillow to another, to having a cup of tea between two others and then getting cake from another. As far as Mai could tell Honey was rushing himself around in the hopes that the ladies wouldn't notice how distracted Mori was at the moment.

"Haruhi…" Mai said quietly, nudging the girl and nodding to the door subtly as she smiled at the boy beside her. Feeling the nudge Haruhi turned to the door, where she could see a figure in the doorway, a feminine figure. It seemed they weren't the only ones who noticed as both Mori and Honey felt the eyes on their backs and shifted their eyes to the doorway, which they found empty as the figure moved on.

"Must have been a curious passer…We get them every so often; girls too shy to come in and try it out." Haruhi explained, Mai shaking her head slightly as the girls before Haruhi moved away to let new customers have their turn.

"Or a past customer whose first love has returned to the school?" Mai suggested, Haruhi catching her drift as she poured out some tea. It was hard holding a conspiratorial conversation while trying to entertain, and upon that silent understanding they returned to the large round table, both lavishing attention on their guests.

The rest of the session passed without incident, and by the slight smile on Kyouya's face she could tell he had managed to make a huge profit. The only thing left after their guests were gone was photographs. Renge had brought a high quality camera with her and insisted on all sorts of shots for the themed calendars and framed photos for sale, particularly Mai since they had no old classics to sell alongside newer editions.

"Okay! Bend forward for me!" Renge ordered, Mai giving her an aghast look, which the girl snapped, though she insisted on the more risqué cleavage shot, along with a leg shot. "Now for the undressing!" The chestnut haired girl added as she ushered Mai into a boudoir section and began unlacing the dress despite Mai's protest. Renge took a shot of the dress slipping down Mai's back as she looked over her shoulder with a slight blush, as well as a shot in her loosened petticoat, though the ghost hunter absolutely refused a corset shot.

"Okay! My turn!" Renge stated as she hurried off, Kyouya taking the camera so that she could be photographed. It seemed that Renge was a popular addition to the host room, though she was really already a part of it in the background. With a sigh Mai tried to reach over her shoulders as she pulled the changing room curtain for a little privacy, fumbling towards the mirror while reaching for a light switch.

"You'll never do that yourself." A voice said, Mai jumping as deft hands tugged at the tight chords, "I tied it so that it wouldn't come undone." Kaoru added as he loosened the corset and pulled it up, the darkness making it hard for Mai to see even after the corset had been whipped over her head. As Kaoru's hands latched onto her bare breasts she was glad for the darkness so that no one could see her blush,

"You teased us for quite a while!" Hikaru added, Mai finding herself turned around to face Kaoru as another body slid in snugly behind her, her mouth covered by a firm but gentle hand from behind as Hikaru's almost naked body pressed into her from behind, something hard pressing against her lower back. "We don't want you making too much noise." He added as his hand slipped around the toyed with the rim of her panties, his hand slipping in and out teasingly, not touching anything, which he knew would drive her crazy.

As Hikaru teased her from behind, Kaoru let out a slight chuckle as he looped one arm around her and stroked her bare back, his other hand moving to massage one of her breasts, toying with one of the hardened nubs. Nuzzling her cheek he moved lower, nipping her ear as she had nipped his earlier, breathing her scent deeply,

"I wish I could see the blush on your cheeks right now." He sighed, somewhere between a purr and a whisper as he continued his was down, nipping and kissing his way to her free breast, licking and suckling the nub teasingly. Getting restless, Mai tried to move away, humming into Hikaru's hand as he pulled her closer, leaning down to kiss and bite her shoulder line. Shifting again Mai almost cried out as Hikaru's hand slipped between her legs, his fingers toying with her, her hips jerking into his touch for more contact.

"Shall I stop teasing?" Hikaru asked, Mai hesitating as she realised what he was asking. This was beyond fully clothes teasing; he was asking if he could touch her in a way that no one had been allowed before. Feeling her hesitation Hikaru pulled back a fraction, Kaoru pausing, also waiting for her answer. Feeling the contact lessen Mai's body jerked in protest, "I'm not going any further until you nod." Hikaru assured, or threatened; Mai wasn't sure anymore.

Nodding her head once Mai almost regretted her decision as Hikaru's fingers plunged into her, the feeling sending a clenching rush through her chest, an unfamiliar sensation that made her whimper into his hand. It was both painful and fulfilling at the same time, and along with Hikaru's ministrations came Kaoru's tender affection, his mouth moving from one breast to another, which sent a strange tingling sensation through her, one arm pulling Kaoru's head closer while the other reached up for Hikaru's hair as he continued to tease her throat.

Feeling her legs weaken, Mai soon found herself leaning entirely on Hikaru, almost crying out as Kaoru lifted her legs and stood between them while Hikaru's movements went deeper and faster, helped by Kaoru's thrusting hips. Mai wrapped her legs around Kaoru tightly, feeling herself bumped from one to the other as Hikaru thrust against her from behind, his hand gripping her insides as she tightened around him, warm liquid running between his fingers as Mai's body convulsed in his arms, her breaths coming in panting gasps between his fingers.

As she calmed down Hikaru withdrew himself, standing her on her own feet, which promptly gave beneath her, all three moving to the floor in an exhausted heap. A silence fell between them, not an awkward silence, more a content, reflective silence. As Mai sat there, leaning back against Hikaru, whose hand rested on her abdomen, his chest heaving beneath her, and Kaoru resting his head on her thigh, she found it hard to believe that she had once wanted the same treatment from Naru. The twins showed so much emotion, and they were so kind that she couldn't imagine Naru, with his cold icy exterior, showing such desire.

"Are you alright?" Kaoru asked eventually as he raised his head slightly, laying back down as Mai ran her fingers through his fiery locks. Her body wasn't so shaky now, in fact her limbs were beginning to feel heavy, and there was a slight aching pain between her legs. The realisation of what had happened wasn't really sinking in yet,

"I'm fine." Mai replied as she looked up at the blackness above her, still unable to see anything in the darkened changing room. Closing her eyes she could feel her mind working, processing the embarrassing wetness between her legs, the uncomfortable panties she was wearing, and a different wetness trickling down her back and Hikaru's chest._ I feel filthy…_Mai concluded, shivering slightly at the increasingly unpleasant sensations.

"You cold?" Hikaru asked, leaning forward to nuzzle her shoulder, her back sticking to his chest slightly as he moved. Shuddering again, Mai shook her head, realising afterwards that it was still pitch black.

"No, I just feel…dirty." Mai concluded, Hikaru's breath sweeping across her shoulder as he chuckled, Kaoru swatting his brother's foot lightly as he rolled onto his back,

"She means she needs a shower." He said, Hikaru shifting away from her, leaving her back cold as he got to his feet. A moment later the light came on, Mai letting out a small shriek of embarrassment as she covered her chest. Smiling warmly Kaoru got to his knees, leaving butterfly kisses on her cheek as he drew closer to her ear.

"You don't need to hide from us; we think you're perfect already." He purred before getting to his feet, Mai flushing as she caught sight of the wet patch on his black pants, a patch she was sure couldn't have been made by her. Looking at Hikaru she could see him wiping off his stomach with a handkerchief, confirming her suspicions to some extent.

"Mai? Are you in there?" Haruhi's voice called from the long heavy curtain, the twins making a dive for the edges before the oblivious girl outside could pull the cord. Gripping the curtain they looked at Mai pointedly, the honey blonde girl blushing as she cleared her throat,

"Yes! I'm just…getting changed." She replied as she got to her feet, her hands still held over her chest.

"Do you need any help?" Haruhi asked,

"No, I'm alright." Mai replied insistently, the boyish girl swiftly taking her leave, much to the twins' relief. As Kaoru began to dress Hikaru wiped off Mai's back, his movements firm but gentle.

"We'll drive you home so you can clean up." Kaoru said as he pulled his trousers up, Hikaru humming his agreement as he pocketed the handkerchief and proceeded to get dressed. Mai followed their lead, pulling on her clothes, but still feeling unclean and uncomfortable._ I smell like an old sports bag!_ She thought, hoping that Haruhi had left and wasn't waiting outside.

"Mai…We didn't push you did we?" Kaoru asked anxiously as he noticed Mai's quiet and preoccupied state, feeling guilty as she winced slightly, walking towards him uncomfortably. _Hikaru could have been a little more gentle…_

"Well, you did kind of spring on me out of nowhere, but I did give you permission." She replied, almost evasively as she buttoned her jacket and checked the catch on her bag,

"Yeah, but did we coerce you into it? Are you sure everything's alright?" Hikaru added cautiously as he appeared at her side with his book bag over his shoulder, his hand gripping the handle a little tighter than usual as he waited for her answer.

"No! I mean, I'm a little sore, but I'm alright!" She insisted, Hikaru sighing as he held his bag out to Kaoru, who took it a little cluelessly.

"If you hurt why didn't you just say so?" Hikaru sighed as he hefted Mai into his arms bridal style, smiling at the small yelp she made at his sudden action and the way she gripped him tightly around the neck, "Don't worry; I won't drop you." He assured as he headed for the main room, Kaoru holding the curtain open as they walked through. Secretly Mai enjoyed this sort of contact; it was something Naru had never needed to do before, _though he did get me out of a few scrapes…_She thought, her mind wandering momentarily to her ex-boss, the way he had shielded her from a falling ceiling, the way he had fallen down a well to save her, _but he was still a jerk!_ She added fondly, wondering how he was doing, _and more importantly how Masako's doing with him!_

* * *

"Naru. She's here again." Lin stated plainly as he entered his charge's office, the younger man looking up from his paperwork momentarily to give Lin his customary glare. He'd been in a bad mood for weeks, apparently that's what followed melancholy.

"Tell her I'm busy." Naru replied simply, not needing to ask who it was. _Hara-san's persistence is astounding…_He thought with a sigh, reaching for his empty teacup before pushing it aside as he remembered, _no one's here to make tea anymore…_Sighing he sat back and looked at the ceiling, inwardly berating himself for being so childish. He was the one who had never acknowledged Mai, and he was the one who had sent her off to that school, and there was nothing he could do about it now.

"Naru, just pick up the phone and call her." Lin said, for what seemed like the hundredth time that week alone. Lin leaned on the filing cabinet, a folder in his hand ready to slot inside, _another job that Mai used to do…_Naru thought forlornly, shaking his head firmly as he bent over his desk once more.

"I already told you, I'm not going to do that." Naru replied, hearing the metal cabinet slam, his startled blue eyes looking up at the older, now thoroughly impatient, man before him,

"Then move on Naru! This behaviour is neither helpful nor productive…and deal with Hara-san!" He added as he opened the door and returned to his office, closing the door quietly despite his obvious displeasure. _If it were Mai she would have slammed the door…_Naru thought, a small smile creeping across his features as he pictured her pouting angry face, or her indignant expression as she turned away clutching the tea tray to her chest. The door would always make a loud resounding thud as it closed, the vibrations coming up his chair leg as he returned to work.

As Naru leaned over his work he pondered his most recent problem. Masako had been coming to the office almost every day since she returned, and was acting rather strangely. She had taken to western attire, and when he'd asked her about her trip she'd just talked about meeting Mai and the two boys she seemed to be getting very friendly with. Gripping his pen tighter at the memory Naru sighed in agitation and sat back. The thought of anyone else making a move on Mai got right under his skin, _but you knew it was a risk!_

"Come in." Naru almost sighed in resignation, his eyes looking up at the ceiling as the soft steps sounded. Masako had moved soundlessly once, barely making a whisper in her traditional shoes, but the modern black shoe she'd taken to clicked lightly as she walked. Hearing a dull thud on his table Naru looked down to see a steaming cup of hot tea, the old cup being removed by a delicate hand.

"Lin mentioned you were out so…" Masako trailed off, a light blush reaching her cheeks, the younger girl seeming lost without her kimono sleeve to cover it, leaving her looking more vulnerable than usual. It was actually quite appealing, _but nothing like Mai…_

"Thank you Hara-san." He replied neutrally, his eyes falling on the steaming green liquid. Mai usually made English tea, but Masako had automatically gone for the green tea, which was usually Lin's choice drink, _but I haven't had green tea for a long time…_He thought as he reached for the cup and sipped the hot slightly bitter liquid.

"Is there anything I can do? Lin mentioned that the files are getting a little out of order." Masako added pointedly, her large brown eyes waiting nervously for his response. It was true what Lin had said; Mai's departure had left a gap in the office that neither of them had filled. _I guess I assumed that Mai would come back one day…but what are the chances of that if she's studying at Ouran? She can do better than secretary!_

"Do as you please." Naru replied, taken aback by the bright smile that lit Masako's face at his response, her cheeks flushing a little as she caught his eye. He watched as she hurried to the nearest cabinet and opened it to look inside, apparently examining Mai's system before she touched anything. As he looked at her out of the corner of his eye he noticed she had lost a little weight, _or is it just the waistline of the skirt?_ He wondered, following the black skirt down to her bare knees, black socks covering her shins. Tucked into the black skirt was a white silk shirt with short sleeves, her short black bob just brushing the fine lace collar of the shirt. "So tell me…how was Mai when you saw her?" Naru asked as he returned to work,

"She was very well! She's really settled into the neighbourhood, and even has some friends! The twins are really nice! They're taking good care of her." Masako replied, almost assuringly as her movement faltered. Naru knew how fond of Mai Masako had been; how fond of Mai they had all been in fact. "It seems Monk-san has kept in contact with her, and she mentioned Ayako calling her once or twice a week…Have you called?" Masako asked curiously as she continued filing, neatening up the misplaced folders.

"No…" Naru replied simply, the ebony haired girl looking up from her task to fix him with a level stare,

"Well I know she'd love to hear from you; she worries you know…" She added, the older boy pausing to examine his pen for a few moments before continuing his work without a word. "How about a letter? It's less personal, and you can go over it before you send it…She really would like to hear from you Naru." Masako insisted kindly, turning back to her task silently as Naru gave her one of his half glares that told her she was walking on thin ice. She didn't want to upset him and risk an argument.


	20. Chapter 19

DISCLAIMER - see chapter one

Okay guys, this is it - I wrote a lot of this chapter today, so I am up to date, and you may be waiting for the next chapter, it depends which fic I feel like working on, but I am going to do my best to get more out for you! Enjoy ;-)

* * *

"Hello? This is the Taniyama residence, who's calling please?" Kaoru confirmed politely as he leaned on the arm of the sofa with the phone in his hand. Beside him Hikaru looked over curiously, crawling closer to try listening in, the younger twin making it easier by holding the phone between them. As he listened Hikaru heard a feminine voice on the other end,

"This is Ayako, is Mai there?" She asked again, concern leaking into her voice, _and I can't say I blame her! I'd be concerned about a guy like me too! _Kaoru thought in amusement as he handed the phone to Hikaru as he got to his feet, intending to find Mai,

"Hold on, my brother's just gone to find her." Hikaru replied, his curiosity itching to be let loose as he held the phone to his ear, a somewhat awkward silence falling between them.

"Are you one of the twins?" Ayako asked after a few moments, Hikaru's eyes shifting to the receiver suspiciously,

"Yeah, but how did you know?" He asked, his eyes falling on a group photograph of Mai and her old work mates. He had met Masako, so the only possible option in the photo was the tall redhead, _nice…_He thought as he examined her attractive face.

"Takigawa told me." She replied simply, which made sense. Mai had hinted at a relationship between those two, but she wasn't sure her suspicions were right. "He also told me you two have a habit of staying at her house." Ayako added in a tone that said she didn't approve, but was withholding her judgement until she met them herself,

"Swings and roundabouts really; sometimes she stays with us." Hikaru excused, his eyes widening slightly as the receiver was plucked from his hand and the cradle was rapped on his head lightly. Looking up Hikaru gave Mai an impish grin before kneeling up on the sofa to watch her, a towel wrapped around her still wet body.

"Ayako! I didn't think you'd call so early! Has anything happened yet?" She asked as she perched on the edge of the sofa, Hikaru kneeling higher to try and hear, though Mai angled the phone away, giving him a small frown. Lying back with a sigh Hikaru was surprised to find himself lying on top of his brother, who had slipped into his seat without notice. "Hm? Hikaru? No! Don't worry about him! And Kaoru is even more trustworthy! There's absolutely nothing to worry about!" Mai assured with a laugh as she looked down at the twins, Hikaru pouting while Kaoru poked his tongue out at him.

"But never mind them! Tell me, what's happening with Naru and Masako?" Mai asked, nibbling her lower lip slightly as she waited for an answer. Whatever the answer the twins could tell she had mixed feelings about it, which didn't necessarily bode well for them. "I was really hoping they'd have sorted it out by now!" Mai sighed as she stood up a little straighter. "Okay, tell Masako to mail me; I still have the layout of the filing system around here somewhere, I'll send it over, along with the improvements I was working on." She added, nodding to herself before saying goodbye and hanging up.

"She seems nice." Hikaru said, stretching as he snuggled into his brother's lap, the younger twin stroking his hair lightly in response as he looked up at Mai, who had dried off a little throughout the conversation. Putting the phone back on the small table beside the sofa Mai leaned over to flick Hikaru's nose,

"She is nice, and you shouldn't tease her." Mai scolded lightly, the twins giving her a look of innocence as she headed back to her room to get dressed. Pulling on some comfortable pyjamas she hurried back to the living room, where the twins were still in their school uniforms from earlier,

"Are you guys staying tonight?" She asked offhandedly as she shifted Hikaru's feet and sat on the end of the sofa, the twins shrugging in return. "I don't mind either way; do you want to?" She asked, the twins nodding silently, "Then go have a shower while I make dinner…Maybe you should start bringing clothes over here; I don't really have anything that'll fit you." She added as she got to her feet and went to the kitchen, the boys following,

"Was than an invitation?" Kaoru asked as he lounged in the doorway, Hikaru leaned on his shoulder as he awaited her answer,

"I guess it was." Mai replied simply as she shut the kitchen door, smiling as she set about making dinner. She swiftly decided on a simple stir-fry, preparing the meat as she heard the shower turn on with a gentle hum in the background.

* * *

"I'm exhausted!" Renge sighed as she sank onto Kyouya's large sofa, laying back with a catlike stretch. After club activities they had overseen the removal of the borrowed props, then they had cleaned the club room, made a record of the cups, saucers and tea pots to make sure they were all there and any breakages had been recorded and finally they had done a stock take of the snacks and beverages to make a shopping list. Once they were done Kyouya had asked her back to his house to help organise the next activity.

"Do you mind?" Kyouya said sternly, the younger teen looking up at him quizzically, the ebony haired boy leaning over her looking over the top of his glasses. Taking the hint, Renge reluctantly pushed herself into a sitting position, though she curled her legs up beside her on the thick cushion as Kyouya sat beside her with his laptop.

"What did you need help with?" Renge asked curiously as she looked over the older boy's shoulder, seeing that he was currently checking stocks and shares. Since his father's company had run into trouble last year Kyouya had been keeping an eye on it, investing the money he made at the Host Club so that he had more to invest in his father's hospitals.

"We need to plan ahead; it may not be for a few months, but the next big thing to happen for us is the Spring Festival." He replied as he closed the stocks and opened up a blank document so that they could brainstorm ideas. It wasn't the first time they had done this; in fact recently they had been doing it more and more. Renge was very conscious of her limited time; she would be expected to return to France at the end of the year, after graduation.

"Right! I was thinking it should be outside. Spring is usually warm, and it's right before the rainy season, so we'll want to make the most of it!" She said enthusiastically, Kyouya's fingers drifting across the keys as he made a note of it. He nodded his agreement, his dark eyes shifting to Renge's slightly lighter shade, hers twinkling in anticipation.

"Outside events are always popular with our clientele, but what should the event be about? We've done a traditional tea service before, and our latest event was historical." The young businessman replied thoughtfully, waiting for Renge to gift him with her next crazy idea. He just wasn't creative enough on his own; before Renge came along it had been Tamaki running off insane plans, but since she had arrived Renge had given him a steady stream of material to work with.

"Water…something with water! It's going to be hot, so water will be good for the atmosphere." Renge suggested as she folded her legs beneath her, the denim skirt riding up her thighs; not that Kyouya noticed. He was too busy working out how he could work water into an event. _The ladies won't want their clothes getting wet, so nothing as quaint as a water fight…though anything with water will inevitably encourage mischief from the twins…_"Or flowers! It'll be spring! Flowers will be blooming all over Japan! How about flower arranging?" Renge suggested, bouncing off her previous idea.

"That sounds nice." Kyouya agreed, though he didn't know much about flower arranging himself, _but it wouldn't be difficult to find a master to teach us, or do a demonstration at the club…the ladies do enjoy trying new things…_He thought approvingly. He could already see them sitting on a fresh lawn surrounded by clean cut flowers from all over the country, putting then in elegant vases and taking them home afterwards._ The cost will be covered by the merchandise of course._

"We could get an expert to give a demonstration, and we could all try doing our own assortments!" Renge suggested, Kyouya nodding his approval,

"My thoughts exactly." He agreed, the French girl beaming at him as she looked over his shoulder at what they had so far. There wasn't much, but it was at least something; they had a few months to think about this new event anyway. "I think we have enough to think about for now, but if you think of anything then write it down and we'll go over it at the next review." The ebony haired boy stated as he shut his laptop, looking up at the light knock on his door. A maid entered quietly with a tea service, which she laid on the table for them before retreating. Kyouya leaned forward for the teapot, his hand brushing Renge's as she did the same.

"Sorry! I just thought I should pour…" Renge excused with a clumsy smile,

"It's my house; I insist." Kyouya stated plainly, giving her a rare and charming smile as he lifted the delicate teapot and poured some tea for them both, making sure to tip hers first. "Milk and one sugar, correct?" He added as he continued, barely registering Renge's nod. Handing her the cup on a delicate saucer he immediately raised the small plate of biscuits as an offering.

"Thank you." Renge said with a slight blush as she took one of the biscuits, Kyouya watching the movement of her delicate hand as she plucked the cookie from the plate. It was only once Renge seemed content that Kyouya finished making his own tea and sat back, abstaining from snacks. He didn't particularly care for sweets. "What now?" Renge asked as she sipped her hot tea,

"I have some order forms to go over." Kyouya replied as he indicated the briefcase on the floor. After every large event he always handed out order forms to the ladies so that they could tick off what they wanted, hand in cheques or cash, and there were even catalogues of their old merchandise for them to browse through, though he would need to expand it or make a new one for the male guests now.

"I'll help." Renge volunteered, as he knew she would. They had spent many hours together in this room sorting through order forms. They always worked quickly and efficiently together; the work would take two or three times as long when he was on his own. This was also the only opportunity he got to see Renge in glasses. He could already see her from the corner of his eye reaching into her small handbag to get out the delicate box,

"There's no rush to start; finish your tea." He insisted as he sat back, enjoying the little free time he had to relax. After the order forms he would take dinner with his sister, and his father and brothers if they were home, however unlikely that was. They were always off working on something at the hospital, and Kyouya had noticed that, since he had single-handedly bought the business and handed it back, his brothers seemed somewhat intimidated by his presence, though the act had caused his father to mellow. He was no longer nagged and hounded about his future and proving himself, _I suppose this means he's proud of me._

"You know, I was reading this really interesting medical paper the other day! It was by a doctor living in Shibuya…Dr. Ayako Matsuzaki! It was about the possibility of psychic phenomena and its relation to the brain." Renge explained, Kyouya quietly surprised by her sudden outburst. He hadn't heard her speak passionately about anything but anime or manga in the past, however he found himself pleasantly surprised.

"Ayako Matsuzaki…Ah! My father speaks of her family often; they are regular clients of ours, always after the latest technology to further medical science." Kyouya stated, Renge nodding her agreement; the business connections of the Ootori family were no great secret, and Renge had been keeping up to date. It was while reading up on the Ootori hospitals that she had come across the article.

"Apparently people who have proven proficiency as psychics show a fuller use of their brain capacity, which is why they seem to develop serious health problems in later life, and tend to die younger than average people." Renge said as she reached into her bag and pulled out a small USB stick, her cheeks reddening slightly as she held it out to the curious ebony haired boy beside her, "I thought you might like to read it." She added,

"Thank you Renge…That was very thoughtful." He added as he took the sleek black stick, his hand just brushing hers in the process. Kyouya himself didn't actually believe in psychic abilities, but if someone as astute as Dr. Matsuzaki could develop an interest in the area, and find proof of a physical connection, then perhaps it was worth a read. "Shall we get to work?" Kyouya suggested as he knelt on the floor, Renge joining him as he put the tea service aside on the floor and opened the briefcase,

"Wow, that's a lot of orders!" Renge exclaimed as she got her glasses out of the sleek black case, which she left on the edge of the table, not noticing Kyouya's gaze as she slipped the elegant gold rimmed glasses on. They were good quality, and expensive, which wasn't unusual for them; to be seen in anything that cost below five hundred pounds would suggest trouble within the family finances. Renge's glasses were one of a kind, designed by her aunt, costing two thousand pounds. A clear statement that business was booming.

"Which means more profit for the Host Club, and therefore more to spend on merchandise, investments and special events." Kyouya replied simply as he took the first sheet out and handed it to Renge, who took it and ran her eye over it. Kyouya sat with his calculator and a blank pad ready, while Renge had his laptop, which displayed an order sheet showing their merchandise along the top and the names of their clientele down the left.

They worked steadily in silence, Kyouya taking the cheques and counting the cash, adding it all up to work out how much they would make, while Renge took the order forms and put a number in her chart for those who had ordered, marking how many of which items. Their progress was fairly swift, but it still took them over an hour, and when the maid arrived to announce dinner they were still working.

"Will Madam Houshakuji be staying for dinner?" The middle aged maid asked from the doorway, her long black dress sweeping down to her toes, soft soled black shoes hiding her feet. As ever, she wore a white apron while she worked so that she didn't get too dirty, and as ever it was spotless.

"She will." Kyouya replied, without waiting for Renge's response. She would never accept the invitation otherwise. They had done this numerous times, and whenever Renge replied she always politely refused; despite her bubbly nature she was horribly polite.

"Thank you for your invitation." Renge said, as if on cue.

"There's no need…We are friends, are we not? You're more than welcome." Kyouya insisted, quietly frustrated by her constant thanking. He had never had this problem with Tamaki; whenever his friend had come to visit he had ingratiated himself with the staff to the point that he had expected to be invited to dinner, which he had. Consistently.

"I'm glad you see us as friends; I wasn't really sure." She replied, Kyouya raising an eyebrow in response. It was true that they had had their differences at first, but since she had calmed down they had been working together famously. "I mean, I know I must have annoyed you…" She added with an apologetic tone,

"You're not dragging up that again?" He stated incredulously, knowing what she was referring to. They hadn't met under the best circumstances; Renge had been childishly obsessed over him due to his unfortunate resemblance to a videogame character she'd fallen for, and he had set her straight eventually. _Not in the most delicate of manners either._ After that Renge had become a sort of mascot for the Host Club, not directly involved, but a constant presence.

Over the past year she had mellowed, taking her self-appointed club duties more seriously and being less and less her old strange self. With exams looming it seemed her usual hobbies were taking a back seat, and given the choice of spending what little free time she had alone playing games or watching anime she had decided to spend it with the club. Without her usual Otaku nature, Renge had developed her own bright personality and a healthy interest in other things, things that could eventually lead to a career.

"Every time I think about it I feel so embarrassed!" She exclaimed, hiding her face between her hands with a small giggle, Kyouya giving a reserved smile in response.

"I admit, you were…trying at first, but you have since become a valuable member of the Host Club…The help you've given me in the past year has been…invaluable." He stated plainly as he began bunching the cheques and money into two neat piles, ready to go in his safe until he could get it to the bank, _which will probably be Tuesday. The merchandise form I can send off tonight, so it should arrive by the beginning of next week, though the newer merchandise still needs to be produced so that could take a little longer…_He thought, surprised as he found Renge's hand on his, her grip gentle as she held him,

"Thank you Kyouya." She said honestly, her eyes swimming as he looked at her, at a loss as to what he should do. He couldn't flatter her any more, she would certainly cry if he did, _but she may cry no matter what I say…_He added inwardly, deciding that remaining silent was his best option. After a few moments she released him and went back to the chart, saving it and stacking the forms neatly.

* * *

Mai sighed as she sat down at her computer to check her mail, the twins safely tucked away in the living room with a comedy to keep them occupied. They had tried to get her to join them, but she really needed to check her mail; anyone could have mailed her over the past couple of days. She also needed to send those plans for the filing system to Masako. As she opened her email account Mai was unsurprised to see numerous messages waiting for her.

John had sent her a message about his progress with his latest case; it was a simple exorcism that he would be performing the next day. It was nothing as complicated as some of Naru's cases, so he wasn't particularly worried about it, it seemed a little girl had managed to bond herself to a wandering spirit, which kept possessing her. It wasn't healthy, so it needed to be dealt with.

Ayako had just spoken to her on the phone, but there was still an email waiting for her. The redhead had been running around the hospital for the past three days, it seems there had been a string of accidents in the area, which were keeping her busy in surgery. The paperwork that went with that was two thirds of the job too. She'd had sleepless nights trying to get it all finished.

Monk-san was away on tour, so his messages weren't very long. He was currently performing up north, in a little town not far from Ouran. They were getting a lot of fans and had almost run out of CDs and posters. He was thinking of stopping by on the way back to Shibuya.

Masako had requested the filing plans because the office was in complete disarray. On a personal note, she wasn't sure how much longer she should press Naru. He had shown no interest in her since she had taken up her role at the office, and whenever he did show her attention it was to ask for something or tell her something; he never spoke to her as a friend._ Yeah, I know that feeling!_

Lin had written to say that he hoped she was doing well, and that the office had regained a little life since Masako had volunteered to help them out. He had missed having his tea brought to him, and though it wasn't the same as Mai's, the tea was much appreciated, as was the help with his filing. Lin also hoped that she would visit during the holidays since work kept him far too busy to get away to visit her any time soon._ It was nice of Lin-san to think of me._

Finally there was a message that she hadn't expected. _Naru?_ Opening the message Mai was surprised by its content. _Mai. I hope things are going well for you at Ouran, and that you aren't wasting your opportunity by any preoccupation for the office. Masako has kindly taken up your position for the time being while we look into something more permanent. I was fond of you during your time with us at SPR, though I didn't show it as much as I should have. Masako has made me aware of your concerns, and rest assured I am well. I hope that you will return to visit if you have the time. Shibuya Kazuya._ Of all the things she had been expecting him to say, she hadn't expected that.

_He was fond of me? What does that mean exactly?_ She wondered, thinking that perhaps she should write back to ask. She had a right to know what he meant it after all, and she didn't want to pour her feelings out to him any more than she already had, _but if I write back to him about that, then what about Masako? And besides, I'm sort of unavailable now…_She added as she thought about Hikaru and Kaoru, _but if I don't ask him then I'll never know…but it could make things more complicated if I do…_

In the end she decided that, for now, she would keep it simple and polite._ If he keeps writing back, then maybe I can work up to asking him about his feelings, but right now he's done nothing to encourage me to chase after him…If he has anything to say to me he'll say it eventually…_

**Naru, I'm doing well thank you; I must admit, I didn't think I'd hear from you after the way we parted. I've settled in here really well, and am in no way wasting my opportunity! Even with club activities I am still keeping up with my work, and Kaoru and Hikaru have been so good to me! They help me with my work when I'm stuck, and we spend a lot of time together, so I'm not lonely or anything. I saw Masako not long ago, doesn't she look great in Western clothes? I didn't think we'd ever get her out of that kimono! It's good that she's spending more time with you; the office suffers without a bit of femininity! I've already promised Lin that I'll come back in the holidays, and I'm hoping that Monk-san will stop by soon on the way back from a gig; his band is really popular at the moment! Hope you write again soon! Mai**

After reading over her message Mai hit send, butterflies fluttering in her stomach as she looked at the screen. Her preoccupation with Naru had died down for a while, but now that she'd heard from him they were beginning to come back._ Maybe things were better when we weren't talking!_ She thought in frustration as she looked at the door, knowing that the twins would guess that something was wrong.


	21. Chapter 20

DISCLAIMER - see chapter one

For those of you who don't know, I am currently working on three fics. This one, Investigation of Cross Academy (Ghost Hunt/Vampire Knight) and Adapting Part Two (Bleach), and I am aiming to post something for at least one of them every couple of days, but I am now determined to get these done! So there should be updated here quite regularly.

Enjoy this latest chapter, and please drop a review so I know there are people reading, otherwise I may dedicate more time to the other works. Enjoy ;-)

* * *

Haruhi couldn't help but notice that the twins seemed somewhat subdued at school, in fact Mai was a little quiet too. She spent a lot of time looking out of the window, while Kaoru glanced across at her worriedly before sharing a concerned look with his brother, who simply nodded his agreement and continued working. Whatever had thrown Mai off was clearly affecting the twins, and it was unusual for her not to notice, _unless she knows, but can't do anything about it because she's so concerned about their feelings…_

After class the twins walked subdued beside Mai as they headed to the club room, not pulling her along or talking in animated tones as they usually did. Mai walked along deep in thought, her eyes watching her feet as she walked, not even noticing that the twins were staring at her almost constantly._ Even if the twins don't ask Tamaki's sure to get involved…_

"Mai!" Haruhi called, quickening her pace to catch up to the trio, who stopped and turned, the twins already catching on to her plan. Excusing themselves with the excuse of helping Kyouya the boys continued onward, looking over their shoulders occasionally as they went. "I couldn't help but notice that you seem preoccupied today…In fact the twins noticed too." The boyish girl stated as she went over to one of the tall windows and sat on the ledge, seeing no one to overhear them.

"I guess I have…" Mai replied in defeat as she perched beside Haruhi, not looking miserable, but certainly quite flustered. "I heard from Naru last night, you know…" She began, Haruhi nodding her understanding. When Mai had first moved into the area she had told Haruhi all about Naru; how she felt about them, what they did together, and the way they parted.

"I must admit, I thought you'd gotten over him." Haruhi admitted, having not heard a word about him for weeks. She'd thought Mai had settled down with the twins; Hikaru and Kaoru certainly seemed to think so. Mai looked at her feet guiltily, her predicament clear,

"I thought so too, but now Naru's contacted me I'm beginning to back-track! I'm happy with Kaoru and Hikaru; they're really nice, they helped me so much, but Naru…" Mai trailed off, not wanting to say out loud how much he meant to her. If she said it out loud then that made it real, and making it real meant that she couldn't just carry on as she was with Kaoru and Hikaru, _but if I'm so in love with Naru then why do I even want to stay with the twins?_

"Are you just grateful to Kaoru and Hikaru for being there? Because they like you, and I mean really like you…It's not fair to string them along if you're just going to leave one day." Haruhi counselled, trying to stay neutral, but it was hard. She had known Mai for a couple months, and they got on really well, but she'd been friends with the twins for over a year; they'd become like brothers to her. She didn't want to see them hurt.

"I know! And I don't want to hurt anyone, but I just can't get my head straight!" Mai cried in frustration, unable to choose between the two. Naru had never shown her an ounce of feeling, and it was unfair of him to suddenly start now after she had left and found two of the kindest, funniest and most considerate men she had ever met. It wasn't even clear that Naru was confessing either. On the other hand, what would she do if Naru did want her? Just drop the twins?

"I don't want to add to your load, but you have to at least tell the twins what you're thinking; they'd want to know." Haruhi insisted, in a tone that told Mai that the boyish girl would have no trouble telling Kaoru and Hikaru if she didn't. Mai nodded reluctantly; she couldn't just string them along. The twins deserved better than that, _besides, once they hear about Naru they might drop me anyway; how can I really love them if I'm willing to leave them at the drop of a hat! But then, can I really love Naru if I want to keep the twins?_

* * *

During service it was obvious that things weren't right, and it wasn't just the hosts who noticed. The twins weren't their usual selves, and their guests were worried and unsatisfied as they left, while Mai was clearly still distracted, though Haruhi did her best to keep things on track with their guests. It was unsurprising that the distractions got to Kyouya; his business relied on the ladies being satisfied.

"Whatever your personal problems, I want them sorted out before you return." The ebony haired boy said in a level manner. He hadn't minded when the twins pretended to fight; their energy had riled the ladies up, and more had joined to watch the spectacle, but now the twins were distant and forlorn. They weren't paying the ladies enough attention, and if the ladies weren't satisfied they were unlikely to return. _Luckily we had no new guests today, so everyone is likely to return._

"Don't be so harsh Kyouya; it's an important time for them. Final year is full of exams! It's little wonder they're distracted." Tamaki excused, though the stoic manager wasn't buying it for a minute. Exams caused a different kind of distraction altogether, and it wasn't something the twins had ever suffered with._ Still, I can let them off for now; it was only one session._

"Very well, but that excuse will not work tomorrow." Kyouya relented firmly, which satisfied Tamaki as he breezed his way over to Haruhi as she carefully returned the clean china to its rightful place. He was careful not to come up behind her; one of her favourite tea pots had been broken that way, and it had taken him months to track down another._ Technically they're the club's tea pots, but Haruhi takes care of them more than anyone else._

"I take it you know what's going on…It seems everyone takes you into their confidence." The blonde said gently as he leaned on the table beside her, knowing that Haruhi had heard his footsteps approaching; she didn't even look up at him as she wiped the delicate tea pot, blue flowers woven all over the white surface.

"So what if I do." Haruhi replied as she scrutinized the gleaming surface to make sure there were no smudges or water stains running down the sides. Tamaki couldn't help admiring her as she worked; her brown eyes focused, her short hair brushing her ears as she leaned forward and her gentle hands carefully turning the pot over in her hands until she gave a satisfied smile and placed the tea pot in the cupboard with the rest of the set.

"Oh, no reason…I'm not one to pry." He added, the boyish girl giving him an unconvinced look as she moved onto the saucers, Tamaki lifting a spare white towel to help her.

"Then it's a good thing that I'm not a gossip." The brunette replied firmly, the blonde knowing he had been cut off there; not that he had expected anything less from his Haruhi. She was an honest and noble person, and he wouldn't have respected her so much if she'd share intimate secrets at the drop of a hat.

"Haruhi!" He whined theatrically, putting on his best puppy eyed look; not that it would get him anywhere, he just wanted to see Haruhi's cute conflicted expression. As if on cue Haruhi's eyes widened slightly, her eye-line tightening a little as she shot him a half glare. He could see her going back and forth, wanting to keep the confidence but at the same time battling with his irresistible childish plea.

"Don't tease me." She said finally, Tamaki relenting with a smile. It figured that she knew he wouldn't really press her. It wouldn't be gentlemanly behaviour,_and I am nothing if not a gentleman._ "I am worried though…I don't like seeing the twins upset." She added as she looked across the room, where the twins were waiting patiently for Mai as she packed her bag, not even Honey's lively antics cheering them up.

"Do you think it will blow over?" Tamaki asked in concern, unsure how worried he should be since Haruhi couldn't tell him without breaking her confidence. The twins were like brothers to him; everyone in the club were like family, he didn't like to see any of them hurt.

"I hope so; I really do…Mai will tell them tonight…otherwise I will tomorrow." Haruhi stated, Tamaki raising an eyebrow in surprise. He had never known Haruhi to be so assertive, at least, not about something that was obviously very personal. It almost sounded like she had blackmailed Mai, and judging by her slightly guilty expression, Haruhi thought she had too.

"If it's for Kaoru and Hikaru's sakes, then I agree." Tamaki stated plainly, his hand reaching out to grip hers supportively. If he had faith in anything, it was Haruhi's integrity. She wouldn't press Mai unless it was important. Feeling Tamaki's touch Haruhi opened her hand so that he could weave their fingers together, a warm smile gracing her features at the comforting touch. "There's nothing more you can do for today; let's go home." Tamaki said decisively, Haruhi readily agreeing to go with him.

* * *

As they headed down towards the main entrance Mai could feel her heart pounding and her stomach fluttering. There was no choice; she had to tell them before they got outside. If they got into the limousine then she'd have to sit there in silence, and there was little point taking them back to hers just to have them storm off, and she didn't know her way home from their house if they had the argument there._ It has to be now!_

"Kaoru, Hikaru…I need to talk to you." Mai stated plainly as she stopped halfway down the main staircase, the twins pausing to look over their shoulders from where they stood a few steps further down. Their amber eyes glanced at each other before shifting back to the timid figure behind, watching as she bit her lower lip worriedly.

"Here?" Hikaru asked, somewhat surprised by how suddenly Mai had made her decision._ It must be bad if it has to be right here and now…_Kaoru thought, his instinct matching Hikaru's perfectly.

"In there." Mai replied as she pointed to a classroom door at the bottom of the stairs. It was hard enough telling the twins without risking someone else overhearing. She'd been unpopular for a while because of her closeness to the twins; she didn't want to be hated for hurting them too. The twins led the way, Mai dreading the moment the door would close behind her, and it came far too soon.

As the door closed with a hollow click, Mai turned to the twins, who were looking around the plain classroom in disinterest. It seemed to be a first year classroom; the twins recognised the early grammar and quotations dotted around the room. The redheads leaned on the nearest two desks, leaving Mai to stand in front of them,

"Well? What is it?" Hikaru asked simply,

"You've been acting distant since last night…" Kaoru added mournfully, somehow seeming to know already that it didn't bode well for them. Mai hesitated uncomfortably, unsure how to say it. She didn't want to hurt the twins, but she couldn't just string them along. If she was stringing them along. She couldn't even decide on that.

"I…heard from Naru yesterday." She stated awkwardly, Kaoru's eyes dropping to his legs while Hikaru tossed his head to look out the window with a scoff. _I should have known it had something to do with him!_ He thought, unsurprised that his brother had already guessed. He should have guess himself.

"And?" Kaoru prompted as he raised his eyes to look at the honey haired girl before him, seeing her inner turmoil as she clutched the handle of her bag and twiddled her fingers.

"And…nothing I guess…I mean; he didn't say anything decisive, but…" She trailed off uncomfortably, finding the experience much worse than she had been imagining all day. She'd imagined herself calmly explaining how she felt about them and Naru, and then the twins storming off, but getting to the storming off part was much harder than she had first anticipated.

"But you'd rather be with him than us? Is that it?" Hikaru snapped, his tone biting as Mai shuddered under his almost accusing gaze. As he got to his feet to leave he felt his twin's hand on his arm, gripping it firmly and drawing his eye. Kaoru's amber eyes were calm, but showed the hurt that Hikaru had shown.

"We should let her finish." Kaoru stated, Hikaru scoffing as he sat down once more, pointedly looking out of the window. Feeling her knees shaking Mai cleared her throat, feeling her vocal chords quivering in her throat,

"I…wouldn't say that exactly…Naru hasn't made his feelings clear, and we didn't part on the best terms, but…him reaching out to me like this…it's unusual for him, and I can't deny that part of me still hopes…but then, the other part…" Mai trailed off again, Kaoru gaining a little hope at that, though he knew he shouldn't. It still didn't put them on solid ground. "I've really come to care about you, both of you, and when I think of not being with you…I feel sad, but then there's Naru and I'm just…" She sighed in frustration, unsure where she should go from there.

"I understand…You care about us, but you care about Naru too, and when it comes to choosing between us you're not sure where you stand yet." Kaoru stated, the honey haired girl nodding her agreement as she looked at the floor guiltily. Kaoru gave a small hum as he folded his arms, his brother giving him an incredulous look,

"So what do we do?" Hikaru demanded, the hurt still plain in his voice.

"I think we'll go home for tonight. We need to discuss this." Kaoru stated plainly as he got to his feet, Mai nodding her agreement as she looked at her feet, unable to bring herself to look at them. She wasn't sure what was worse, Hikaru's outward hurt or Kaoru's quiet understanding._ Does it matter? I've hurt them both!_ "Would you like us to drive you home?" Kaoru offered, holding a hand up to silence his older brother before he could even think to object.

"No. I'll walk." Mai replied stiffly, waiting until the twins' footsteps had retreated before allowing herself to crumble to the floor and cry.

* * *

"I don't believe this! We've been done over again!" Hikaru snapped as they entered their bedroom, the older twin tossing his bag aside before flinging himself back on the bed to glare up at the ceiling. It was just like the housemaid all over again; she'd abandoned them after they gave her their trust, and now Mai was abandoning them too. It was like having their trust thrown back in their faces.

"Calm down Hikaru; it's not so bad." The younger twin replied as he put his bag on his dresser, and pulled off his blue blazer, hanging it neatly on the door of his wardrobe, feeling Hikaru's eyes boring holes in his back. It was unusual for them to be at odds like this; usually Hikaru knew what his twin was thinking, but not today.

"She's going to leave us! She's going to go back to that dirt-bag who tossed her aside like she was nothing! How is that good?" Hikaru demanded, growing more and more annoyed by his brother's calm acceptance as he elegantly pulled his tie off and looped it over the shoulders of his jacket. It was only when his younger brother turned to face him that Hikaru saw the depths of hurt in his eyes, guilt washing over him at how inconsiderate he had been.

"I didn't say it was good, but she can't help the way she feels…besides, it's not conclusive. She said she was conflicted; that gives us the chance to win her over." Kaoru reasoned as he made his way to the bed and sat beside his subdued brother, who ran a hand through his hair as he sat forward on the edge of the bed.

"I just…I don't want to feel that again…" Hikaru said quietly, Kaoru nodding silently. As children it was only the maid who treated them like children; everyone else saw them as a route to their parents. For years after that maid had betrayed them they had closed themselves off, and it had only been once they met Tamaki that they slowly began to trust again, and it was Haruhi who freed them from their insecurity completely. Now Mai had come and they felt more insecure than ever.

"I know, but it was bound to happen…What are the chances of finding a girl at our age and spending a lifetime together?" Kaoru replied forlornly, Hikaru giving a dissatisfied huff as he turned onto his stomach, Kaoru laying back on the bed and folding his arms beneath his head as he looked up at the white ceiling. "We can't be mad at Mai forever; she has to follow her heart, whether it leads to us or Naru." Kaoru decided, looking across at his brother, who had his face turned away.

"I know…I just…wanted it to be us." Hikaru replied, the sound of his voice telling Kaoru that his twin was crying, Kaoru turning onto his side and tapping Hikaru's shoulder, his own tears blurring his vision.

"Me too Hikaru…me too." Kaoru cried, his hand fisting in his brother's blazer as he leaned his head against the older boy's back, feeling Hikaru pull away as he turned over to embrace him. Kaoru locked his arms around Hikaru as the older twin held him, both feeling strangely content in their misery.


	22. Chapter 21

DISCLAIMER - see chapter one

Just a short chapter this time I'm afraid. ;-)

* * *

Mai sighed as she sat at her computer, staring at her inbox, which had no new mail. _Well, maybe he's busy with a case, or hasn't checked his mail yet, or he doesn't know what to say…Or he doesn't want to reply!_ She thought in resignation as she let her head fall onto the keyboard with a thud, letting out a sigh as she shifted her eyes to the screen. _Staring at the screen isn't going to force a message to appear!_

Moving the mouse she paused with her finger above the right button, tilting her head slightly as she looked at the refresh button._ Alright, one more refresh and then I'm done._ She thought decisively, hesitating a few moments before clicking, watching the page turn white as it reloaded. She could barely believe her eyes when she saw Naru's name beside a new message.

**Mai, I'm relieved to hear you're doing well; I must admit I was worried when we parted the way we did. Looking back now I realise I should have been more sensitive to your feelings, but I didn't want you to waste your opportunity for a foolish crush that ultimately wouldn't have worked out. It's good that you're settling in, and that you're taking things seriously; a certificate from Ouran will dramatically increase your options for College, not to mention career opportunities. Perhaps when you return we can meet and discuss those opportunities. Naru**

Biting her lip Mai couldn't help the small rush that ran through her chest as she read the message. He was being considerate, he'd apologised in a Naru sort of way, and he'd even said he wanted to see her. _Maybe on a one to one basis…maybe a date…_she thought excitedly, though a nagging part at the back of her mind was letting off alarm bells. She'd never had any luck with Naru before, so why would she suddenly start now?

_I have to reply somehow! What should I say?_ She wondered, her fingers playing with the keys idly as she watched the blank message she had opened. She didn't want to sound desperate, or overeager. _Play it cool…_She thought as she poised her fingers above the keyboard.

**Naru, I would like to meet up; I'm sure there are a lot of colleges that you could recommend. I haven't really thought about a career yet; I always assumed I'd still be working for you after college. I know it's silly, but I was happy at SPR; the work was pretty interesting, though it was a shame about the company! Maybe we could discuss my options over dinner or something. Mai.**

Mai sent it as soon as she'd read it through, not wanting to lose her nerve. As she sat back her thoughts were filled with Naru; the way he sipped his tea, the way his cobalt eyes scanned reports, the look he gave her when he thought she was being foolish; even the way he dealt out cutting remarks brought a smile to her face._ He wouldn't be Naru if he wasn't a jerk…_

Looking at the clock, Mai decided there was time for a bit of television before going to bed. Turning off the computer she hurried through to the living room on an emotional high, words climbing her throat as she entered the room, but dying on her lips as she realised she was alone. With just the reading lamp on the living room looked dull, and it was so quiet.

Shivering slightly Mai turned on the television, the evening news just starting as she pulled her bare legs up onto the sofa, sitting on the middle cushion awkwardly. After a few moments she looked at the cushions either side of her, almost surprised to find them empty. She was so used to having the twins around that her home felt hollow without them.

Since she had the whole sofa, Mai stretched out, laying on her side as she watched the television. The news finished fairly quickly to give way to a romance drama, the same one she had been watching with Kaoru and Hikaru. She wasn't sure it was really Hikaru's thing; the older twin often fell asleep part way through, but she and Kaoru would cuddle up and watch. Kaoru would be resting with his head in her lap while she would be leaning back on Hikaru's sleeping form, one of his arms loosely draped around her waist.

Curling up a little Mai hoped that her position would keep her warmer, only now reflecting that a short sleeved nightdress probably wasn't the best idea, though she had been wearing it for the past couple of nights. The short sleeves made no difference when Kaoru and Hikaru were there; their body heat kept her really warm, and if she shivered Kaoru would fetch the duvet and the three of them would curl up beneath it.

Mai turned onto her back with a sigh, unable to get comfortable with her head resting on the hardened arm of her sofa. The height of the arm kept her propped up, her back aching slightly._ How did Hikaru lie here hour after hour?_ She wondered with a huff as she turned back onto her side, frowning slightly at the screen._ I've lost the thread of the episode now!_ She thought, wishing that Kaoru was there to fill her in._ I miss them both…and it's only been a few hours!_

Mai sat up with a sigh and turned off the television, thinking she might just go to bed, but upon entering her room she found it felt even more hollow than the living room. It had been weeks since she'd slept alone; Hikaru had lain behind her, his bare torso acting as a firm cushion while Kaoru had slept in front of her, his head sometimes resting on her chest, and sometimes she would lean against him with Hikaru's weight pressing against her back.

Grabbing a book Mai returned to the living room and curled up on the corner of the sofa near the lamp, shifting to get comfortable as she started to read._ This is hopeless…_She thought after a few moments as she snapped the book shut and put it aside, turning the television on once more, flicking through until she found a movie. It had already started, but that didn't bother her. Hearing a knock on the door she got to her feet, shuffling towards it warily. With the twins there she wouldn't have thought twice; no one would try anything with the pair of them in her home.

"Who is it?" She called as she approached the door, one hand resting on the knob as she listened, knowing the spy hole wouldn't be much use in the dark. She heard two dull thuds as two heavy objects were put on the floor,

"It's me." A familiar voice replied, a smile lighting Mai's face as she threw the door open and launched herself into Monk-san's chest. "Whoa! I wasn't expecting a greeting like this!" He added with a smile as he wrapped his arms around the smaller girl, stroking her short honey hair.

"I didn't realise you were going to be back so soon! What happened to the tour?" Mai asked as she released the older man and stepped back into her apartment, leaving the door wide open so that the monk could bring in his two cases, his bass held on his back by a thick black strap. He was wearing a long brown trench coat and his cowboy hat, which he tossed on the coat stand as he lowered his cases to the floor and kicked the door shut.

"Our last gig cancelled, so I decided to drive straight over; I wasn't going to stop by, but I saw your light on and thought I'd say hello…You're alone?" He asked as he pulled of his coat and looked around, quietly surprised that the two redheads weren't anywhere in sight. He found that unusual, especially since Ayako and Masako had both said the twins were glued to Mai's side, even staying at her house.

"No…They're not here…" Mai replied, Monk-san sighing as he looked at the young girl. Something had happened. He didn't need a degree to see that. He could tell by the way her hazel eyes had dropped to the floor and her expression had dropped; she looked quite forlorn.

"Alright, something's wrong! You sit, I'll make tea and then you can tell me about it." The older man said decisively as he headed for the kitchen, leaving his cowboy boots by the door with his cases, the guitar leaning on them in its large black case. Mai sat on the edge of the sofa nervously, knowing that Monk-san would be in favour of the twins, though she herself was unsure which way to go.

Monk-san returned shortly with two steaming cups and a packet of biscuits he had found in the cupboard and took his seat beside Mai on the sofa. After a little prompting, Mai launched into an explanation of what had happened. He didn't give her any judging looks, in fact his expression remained fixed and serious throughout, the only sound he made was the occasional crunch as he ate biscuits.

"Do you think you might have been a little hasty?" Monk-san asked seriously as he sipped his tea, watching Mai carefully as she nursed her still full cup. As an older man the situation seemed so minute; from what Mai had said it wasn't as if Naru had proclaimed his undying love, _though for Naru it is quite a show of affection._ Despite this he still didn't think the situation warranted telling the twins.

"No, at least, I don't think it would be right not to tell them…" Mai replied weakly, which Monk-san could understand to some extent. If the twins knew about Naru they would at least be ready for the prospect of Mai leaving or halting their relationship, _but if that's going to happen will they really want to stick around? I know I wouldn't…_

"I admit, you were right in telling them, but maybe you did it too soon; there's no guarantee that Naru is really leaning towards asking you out; the kid is unreadable!" Monk-san excused, feeling that perhaps he was exaggerating. Since Mai had left Naru had changed for the worst, so perhaps it was a sign that he did miss Mai, and that he felt something more than friendship for her, _but he had his chance! He didn't want her when she was there, so he shouldn't be chasing her now!_

"But even though I feel so…infatuated when I think of Naru, all I can focus on right now is how empty this place feels without the twins! I keep thinking about what they'd do if they were here, what we'd watch, what I'd make for dinner, everything!" Mai cried in frustration, almost spilling her tea as she gesticulated with one arm, the movement of her shoulders jostling the arm holding her cup. Smiling patiently Monk-san eased the cup from her grasp and put it on the small coffee table, keeping her hand in a gentle grip.

"Maybe this is a good thing. Spend a few weeks just on your own. Talk to the twins at school, talk to Naru at home, but don't have the twins in your house…Once their presence has faded you'll know which you prefer." The monk reasoned, quietly hoping that it would be the twins who won out. It wasn't that he didn't like Naru, but the way he had manipulated Mai over the last year and a half was disgraceful. Monk-san had known a lot of women, but he had never led any of them on the way Naru had, whether he meant to or not.

"That sounds like a good idea…if the twins are talking to me." She added with a resigned sigh, Monk-san ruffling her hair playfully,

"Don't worry about that; I'm sure they're just as anxious as you. Just talk to them as you normally would, but let them know that you want your space so that you can get your head straight." He advised, Mai nodding her agreement gratefully. This was something she had missed since moving to Ouran; Monk-san had been her confidant for what seemed like years. He was the big brother she'd never had; he always helped her solve her problems.

Monk-san went on to tell her about his own life; the gigs he had been performing. He had many tales of mischief, from the band and the fans. It sounded like he'd had a really good time, despite the endless hours of playing and rehearsing. The band was probably a nice break from SPR; he didn't really do much of his own spiritual work, and hadn't since he'd met Naru. Naru had kept him busy enough to make any other appointments unnecessary.

"You have your bags; do you have a place to stay lined up?" Mai asked as Monk-san finished his tea and hinted that it was time to leave.

"Not yet; I was on my way into town when I saw your light." He replied as he got to his feet,

"Oh! Then why don't you stay here? You can take the sofa." Mai replied eagerly, though she hoped she didn't sound too desperate. Truth be told, she'd gotten so used to the twins, and having another presence in the apartment, that she didn't really feel safe on her own. Picking up on her mood, Monk-san agreed to stay, and soon had a spare pillow and Mai's sleeping bag set up on the sofa.


	23. Chapter 22

DISCLAIMER - see chapter one

* * *

"Hey! I know that car!" Kaoru said, almost in delight as he looked out of the classroom window, where a white car had just pulled up in the driveway alongside the stream of limousines, a few girls giggling as they passed by. Kaoru considered his suspicions confirmed as Mai climbed out of the passenger side, smiling brightly as she grabbed her bag.

"Takigawa!" Hikaru shouted as he lifted the window and leaned on the frame, Kaoru beside him. His shout called the rest of his class to attention, many of the girls hurrying over to catch a glimpse of the rock idol they had met just a few weeks ago. Apparently Monk-san heard his name, the tall man climbing out of the car to lean on the door with his usual boyish grin.

"Hey! Long time no see!" The bassist called back with a wave, laughing as a few of the girls began shouting his name and waving. Mai paused and watched the exchange, knowing that the monk wasn't used to the attention, and intended to revel in every moment of it.

"Should we be expecting you in the club this afternoon?" Kyouya asked, both Mai and Monk-san turning with a start to see him walking up the path behind them, his eyes glued to the clipboard in his hand as he headed to school. He paused briefly as he drew level with the car, his sharp eyes looking up from the page,

"Well, uh…Sure…I guess I could stop by." Monk-san replied in surprised; he hadn't thought the dark haired boy had really noticed him on his last visit, aside from agreeing to have him as a guest. Nodding in satisfaction the stone faced young man continued into the school, once again absorbed in his paperwork. "I thought he graduated…" The monk added dryly as he watched the retreating figure, who was still wearing his light blue school uniform.

"He has, but whenever he's doing a club meeting he wears the uniform…come to think of it Tamaki does too." Mai replied thoughtfully, Monk-san nodding in response, though he couldn't understand it himself. He would have turned up in any clothes he had to hand, _which is why I was probably never in a club like this!_ He added with an inward chuckle, unable to imagine himself as the charming host.

"Right! Off to class Mai, and remember, treat the twins as you always do, but let them know you need your space, alright?" The older man reminded her, watching her honey eyes lose a little of their spark as she remembered her impending meeting. She'd had the jitters all morning; Monk-san had had to make the breakfast and virtually force her into the bathroom. She'd wanted to stay home, but he was having none of it. "Don't worry! If they respect you as much as they seemed to last time I was here, you'll have nothing to worry about." He assured, giving Mai a light push towards the school.

"I'll see you in the club room later." Mai said timidly over her shoulder, Monk-san giving her his brightest smile in return, hoping that it would give her a little more confidence. He watched as she went inside, his eyes drifting up to the twins, who stood watching Mai with fixed expressions, giving nothing away one way or the other._ I hope they go easy on her…_

Entering the classroom Mai took her seat by the window, the twins already back at their desks by the time she got there. As she sat down they barely even looked at her, which didn't bode well for the rest of the day. She often found her eyes sneaking a peek at Kaoru, who was closest to her. His eyes didn't stray to her once, at least not that she noticed._ Not that I can blame them…_

* * *

"You seem a little anxious." Haruhi said at break, having noticed Mai's almost constant stream of glances, and she suspected that the twins had too. Almost as soon as the bell rang they had left the room together without a word, leaving Haruhi concerned. It wasn't like them to be so quiet, nor would they usually be so indifferent; she could only assume they were still feeling a little hurt.

"To be honest I'm not sure what to do…Monk-san said I should just explain to Kaoru and Hikaru that I need space, but they're avoiding me, so should I bother?" Mai asked, desperately needing someone to give her guidance. She'd never really been in this situation before; usually when she fell out with Naru it was his fault, and since it wasn't in his nature to apologise Mai would just let it drop, but with the twins it was different._ This is all my fault…_

"I wouldn't avoid them, you need to tell them how you feel; about everything." Haruhi added firmly, Mai nodding almost reluctantly. She knew Haruhi wouldn't let her off so easily, she was like Monk-san in that respect. The difference was that Haruhi didn't tease her like Monk-san, she merely gave her a supportive smile as she returned to her seat, leaving Mai to think about her situation.

Mai looked up as the door opened, the twins re-entering quietly, Kaoru pausing as he noticed Mai's eyes upon them until Hikaru gave his shoulder a light push. Returning to their seats they continued to work quietly, though Mai noticed Kaoru's eyes strayed to her occasionally, though he never acknowledged her when their eyes met. _We can't go to the Host Club like this! Maybe I should give up for today and go home…but Monk-san will be waiting for me in the club room…_

As the bell rang for lunch Mai was still thinking over her problem; they should be going to the club room to start setting up for the afternoon. The twins were already on their feet, getting ready to leave the room,_ maybe I should go in and tell Kyouya I won't be there this afternoon, and then I can call Monk-san and get him to meet me out front._

"Mai, this is the perfect chance! Quickly, before they leave!" Haruhi almost hissed as she packed her bag, purposely going slowly so that the twins could get a little ahead. Biting the inside of her cheek nervously, Mai walked out into the corridor, seeing the twins just ahead, their low mood obvious from the way they ambled slowly along, not really interacting with the girls as they passed. Quickening her pace Mai fell into step behind them, wondering when or if she should say to anything. Just as she was about to speak the twins stopped and turned as one,

"Are you going to say something?" Kaoru asked,

"Or just follow us all day?" Hikaru added, the young psychic taken aback by their abruptness, not to mention their stony expressions._ I guess I deserve it though…_Mai thought as she felt herself inwardly stammering, her mind blank as she tried to think of the words that were so important. "Cat got your tongue?" Hikaru prompted as he leaned over her slightly,

"I know you're upset, but can't we just talk?" Mai asked, her patience thinning slightly at Hikaru's biting tone; his reaction was so different to Naru's. If she fell out with Naru she expected the stern teen would either ignore her or just keep her at arms length until she apologised; he certainly wouldn't have behaved so childishly.

"Sure; let's just step in here." Kaoru replied obligingly as he stepped in front of his brother and opened the door of a nearby classroom, which had recently been abandoned by both students and teacher alike. Hikaru followed reluctantly, shutting the door firmly behind Mai, who winced at the loud sound.

"Well?" Hikaru prompted as he leaned on the door, determined not to stay any longer than necessary. He knew Kaoru thought he was being harsh towards Mai, but as far as Hikaru was concerned she had all but dumped them, and he knew how fragile Kaoru could be. Kaoru wore his heart on his sleeve, so he was far more readable than his brother.

"I never meant for us to fall out over this." Mai stated plainly, Hikaru scoffing slightly while Kaoru looked a little guilty for having gone along with his brother. Hikaru's first reaction to anything negative was to close it off and stop the risk of further hurt, but Kaoru was more open, so he had always been willing to risk the hurt in the hopes that something positive would come out of it in the end.

"What did you think would happen? You dropped us, didn't you?" Hikaru asked accusingly, Mai wincing slightly at his tone.

"Yes, but not really…It's hard to explain; I didn't mean to 'drop you', but at the same time I couldn't continue with my feelings confused…I just need some time to get my head straight and figure out how I feel." Mai replied, Kaoru nodding his understanding. It was a rational choice, one he would have made himself in the same situation, and as he looked at his brother it seemed Hikaru was also coming round to understanding. That didn't mean they had to like it.

"So what? We're supposed to wait until you decide to pick up with us again?" Hikaru asked, his voice less angry now and more hurt and frustrated. It wasn't that he was egotistical and thought women should fall at their feet, but he at least thought that if someone was with them the way Mai had been then they wouldn't want to look else where._ What is it that we're lacking?_

"No! I mean, I can't ask you to do that; it wouldn't be fair. All I'm saying is that if, when I figure out how I feel, I want to be with you, then I'll let you know. Whether you say yes or no is up to you." Mai replied, Hikaru shifting his hazel eyes across to his brother, Kaoru giving him a small nod. It wasn't the best offer he had had, but he could deal with it. "So, are we still friends?" Mai asked as she looked between the pair.

"Sure." Kaoru replied as he led the way to the door, holding himself back from gripping Mai's hand on the way past, "Come on, Kyouya's going to be mad if we miss setting up." He added with a grin, Hikaru ambling along behind Mai with a tense expression. Kaoru could understand his reluctance, the closer they got to Mai the worse it would be if she chose Naru, _but that just means we have to win her over._

* * *

Haruhi walked the deserted halls of the upper floor, hoping to find Mori. She had been to the club room, where Kyouya and Tamaki were sitting at a table with Honey, who was eating his cake with Bun-Bun as usual. As she entered he had looked up almost hopefully, but his light honey eyes had dropped when he realised she wasn't Mori. Since no one knew where he was, Haruhi had thought it best to look for him. It wasn't that she thought he was in any sort of trouble; Mori was the last person she would worry about, but he did have a tendency to let his mind wander.

"Je veux vivre pour manger touts les livres, Je veux vivre pour connaitre les enfants," A voice sang from further down the hall, the beautiful sound drawing Haruhi's attention. It was a woman's voice, deep, loud and clear as a bell with a bright operatic tone. Haruhi had never really listened to opera before, but she could listen to the voice singing all day.

"Mori?" Haruhi questioned quietly as she headed down the hall, where the tall ebony haired boy was standing outside the door of an empty music room, which was much like the one the Host Club used, only it was completely empty. The only music room in use was the one on the first floor; this one seemed to be for the choir, but there was only one person in the room. Seeing Haruhi approach Mori held up a hand for silence, apparently not wanting to draw attention to himself.

Getting closer, Haruhi joined Mori in the doorway, where Mori had eased the door open a few inches so that he could peer inside. Within, Haruhi couldn't help but smile at the sight of the brunette haired girl as she swirled around the room with a serene smile. Haruhi recognised the girl; she had seemed quite plain in Mori's photograph, but when she was singing she took on a new beauty.

Her deep brown eyes were closed, her arms were held out in abandonment as she twirled, unaware that her private enjoyment was being watched. She seemed so carefree as she danced around singing the bright happy tune, one that Haruhi had never heard before. The skirt of her yellow dress rose up as she turned, her breasts arched outwards as she sang, the notes coming up from her diaphragm, giving her back a graceful arc as she danced.

Looking up Haruhi was surprised to see a warm look on Mori's face, his smile almost matching the girl's in his serene state. Haruhi could understand his feeling; the girl's voice was so pure that she could feel herself drifting off as she listened, the notes skipping up and down the scale in a lively tone. Mori was completely focused on the girl, his eyes following her up and down as she danced by the windows, her voice ringing out in one final note.

As she stopped, the girl went to the window and laid a hand upon the glass as she looked down to the grounds below, leaning heavily on the glass as she gasped for breath, her free hand resting on her chest. Haruhi couldn't see from where she stood, but she knew the girl would have a bright smile on her face; it was the only fitting reaction after singing such a lovely song. After a few moments the girl turned, a small smile still on her face as she made her way towards the door.

Haruhi felt a tug on her arm as Mori made to move away from the door, pulling Haruhi with him as he hurried a little way down the hall and stood in an alcove. Haruhi found herself pressed firmly against the tall boy as he peered round the corner, watching the girl as she made her way down the corridor in the opposite direction. Once she was out of sight Haruhi felt Mori's grip on her relax and stepped back,

"Why did you hide from her?" Haruhi asked, the older boy shifting his eyes from the empty corridor to look down at her. At her question he looked slightly uncomfortable, perhaps a little embarrassed.

"She didn't know I was watching her." He replied, Haruhi nodding her agreement; the girl was shy by reputation, there was no way she would have been singing like that if she had known Mori was watching. "She wouldn't want to see me anyway." The tall boy added regretfully as he turned to head down the corridor, intending to return to the club room.

"Why not?" Haruhi asked as she hurried along beside him, trying to keep up with his long strides.

"We have not yet had our first official meeting as betrothed…She will not want to see me until then." Mori replied, which Haruhi couldn't understand, but there was a lot about upper class tradition that she didn't understand. She had problems with Tamaki's grandmother in that respect, though his father, at least, had taken a shine to her.

"I'm sure that's not that case." Haruhi said blankly, Mori smiling at her inexperience. Laying a hand upon her head he continued walking, Haruhi falling behind slightly as she turned over his predicament in her head. _She had a crush on Mori once; I'm sure she'd like to see him again…maybe it's a case of getting them in the same place at the same time…_


End file.
